Russia and the US will hold talks on arms control and the situation in Ukraine on January 10, ahead of a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council and an assembly of the OSCE later that week, the Americans confirmed on Tuesday.
According to CNN, the two nations will meet next month to discuss a wide range of issues, following proposals from Russia for a legally binding agreement between Moscow and Washington over the placement of weapons and troops near the Russian frontier.
"The United States looks forward to engaging with Russia in the Strategic Security Dialogue on January 10th," the American National Security Council explained, in a statement cited by the Atlanta-based broadcaster. "Additionally, we understand Russia and NATO are intending to hold an NRC meeting on the 12th, and that the OSCE PC is scheduled on the 13th."
The NATO-Russia Council is a body set up in 2002 for engagement between Moscow and Brussels. The OSCE is the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov had explained that the schedule is still yet to be finalized.
“I can confirm that these exact dates are being considered, but there is no final agreement... We do not have a final, complete agreement on all aspects, but no alternative dates are being considered either,” Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti news agency.
The topic of talks between Moscow and Washington is likely to be Russia’s proposal for security guarantees. Last week, Russia published two draft documents with a list of promises it wants to obtain from the US and NATO. Among other things, Moscow wants Washington and its allies to agree to abandon NATO expansion, end military cooperation with post-Soviet countries, remove US nuclear weapons from Europe and withdraw NATO troops and missiles away from the Russian border.
The Kremlin’s desire to come to a legally binding agreement on European security comes as tensions remain high on the country’s border with Ukraine. In recent weeks, Western media outlets have alleged that the Kremlin is planning an invasion for the upcoming months. Moscow has denied all such accusations, even suggesting that Ukraine is the party intending to conduct a military operation.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the main round of the Russia-US talks on security would take place immediately after the New Year holidays. Speaking to the Soloviev Live YouTube channel on Monday, Lavrov noted that any delay in discussions would be unacceptable.