Russia: President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the willingness of Washington to discuss Russian security proposals to curb expansion east “positive”, in the midst of Western concern over the main military escalation in Ukraine.
Russia last week presented the United States and NATO with a draft proposal, summarizing its demands in return for the escalation of tensions above the Ukrainian ex-Soviet.
These documents say that NATO must not recognize new members into the military alliance and ask no military bases to be established in former Soviet countries.
“There should be no East NATO expansion,” Putin told journalists at his annual end press conference.
“The ball is in their court.
They need to give us some answers,” he said, but added: “Overall we see a positive reaction.” “The US partners told us that they were ready to start this discussion, this talk, at the beginning of next year in Geneva,” Putin said, added that representatives from both parties had been appointed.
Demands far from Russia were dismissed by several members of the US-led alliance.
Washington said it was open to discussion but had not provided a detailed response to Moscow’s proposal.
The Western government accused Moscow massing forces near their borders with East Ukraine, where Kiev has combed pro-Russian separatists since shortly after Crimean’s annexation in 2014.
The United States and Europe have warned Russian unprecedented sanctions.
Military attacks on NATO allied Ukrainians.