Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a session on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Summit COP26 taking place in Glasgow, via videoconference in Moscow, November 2, 2021.
Sputnik | AFP | beautiful pictures
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration on Saturday reiterated that there are “no firm commitments” by the United States in diplomatic negotiations with Russia next week.
The talks between Washington and Moscow take place in the context of a strong Russian military deployment on the Ukrainian border.
An unnamed senior administration official warned Saturday about Russian disinformation ahead of diplomatic talks scheduled to begin next week in Geneva.
“I can assure you in advance that no firm commitments will be made in these negotiations, which will be serious and specific but exploratory in nature. Everything discussed will be needs to return to Washington for review and must also be discussed with partners and allies by the end of the week,” the senior administration official told reporters.
For months, Kyiv has been warning the US and its European allies that tens of thousands of Russian troops are landing along the country’s eastern border. This buildup has evoked nuances about Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, a peninsula on the Black Sea, sparking an international uproar and triggering a flurry of sanctions against Moscow.
“While we would like to ease diplomatic relations if Russia chooses another path, we are ready and fully aligned with our partners and allies on the need to impose serious costs on with Russia through financial sanctions, export controls targeting key industries, improving the posture of NATO forces on allied territory and increasing security assistance to Ukraine”, a Senior administration officials told reporters.
When asked, the official declined to elaborate further on the specific steps the Biden administration is prepared to take.
“We’ll know a lot more in a week or so on which path we’re on,” the official said, adding that the US would enter the meetings with “a sense of reality, not straying.” Mandarin.”
“We are ready to see if Russia attends these talks in a serious spirit and is ready to discuss these issues in the direction of concrete results,” the official added.
The Russian embassy in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Latest revelations come later a high stake call between the president Joe Biden and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin in the context of the Ukrainian army is significantly strengthening on the border.
Call on December 30th, The second known discussion between the two leaders this month, was scheduled at Putin’s request.
US President Joe Biden holds virtual talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid concerns in the West that Moscow is planning to attack Ukraine, during a secure video call from the Situation Room at the White House in Washington, US, on July 7 December 2021.
White House via Reuters
Mr. Biden reiterated new concerns and threats that his administration will “respond decisively” with allies and partners if Russia continues to invade Ukraine.
The Russian president has previously asserted that despite the deployment of thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border, Moscow is not prepared for an invasion of its former Soviet neighbor. Putin has also defended Russia’s right to deploy troops on its borders and accused NATO of escalating tensions by building up troops in countries bordering Russia.
Russia has described NATO’s eastward expansion as a “red line” posing security threats to Moscow.
Biden refused accept Putin’s “red lines” for Ukraine during their two-hour video call on December 7.
Since 2002, Ukraine has sought to join NATO, the world’s most powerful military alliance, in which Clause 5 of the group states that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all of them.
Next week, US and Russian officials will hold security talks focusing on arms control agreements, NATO and Russian military operations and rising tensions over Ukraine. The January 10 meeting will be held as part of the Strategic Security Dialogue that Biden and Putin announced in June summit in Geneva.
