NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on the evening of Wednesday 26 January that they had given Russia their responses to its proposals on Europe’s security architecture.
While he did not reveal the content of the text, Mr Stoltenberg explained that the document, negotiated and agreed by all 30 Allies, includes written proposals and issues on which the Allies believe there is room for progress with Russia.
The Secretary General highlighted three main areas. In his view, relations between NATO and Russia could be improved, in particular by re-establishing the respective offices in Brussels and Moscow. “We should also make full use of existing military-to-military communication channels to promote transparency and reduce risk, and consider the establishment of a civilian hotline”, said Mr Stoltenberg.
In his view, it is also possible to make progress on European security, including the situation in Ukraine. “We are ready to listen to Russia’s concerns and engage in a real conversation about how to maintain and strengthen the fundamental principles of European security to which we have all subscribed, starting with the Helsinki Final Act”, he stressed, warning that the Allies would not make concessions on the fundamental principles of that Act.
At the same time, Mr Stoltenberg called on Russia to refrain from coercive force posturing, aggressive rhetoric and malicious activity and to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. “All parties should engage constructively in efforts to resolve conflicts, including in the Normandy format”, he added.
Finally, the Secretary General called for practical measures related to risk reduction, transparency and arms control. He therefore proposed mutual briefings on nuclear exercises and policies in the NATO-Russia Council and the modernisation of the Vienna Document on military transparency. The Secretary General also called for work to reduce space and cyber threats, consultation on ways to prevent incidents in the air and at sea, a renewed commitment to full compliance with international commitments on chemical and biological weapons, and a “serious conversation” on arms control, including nuclear weapons and intermediate and shorter-range land-based missiles.
While relying on dialogue, the Alliance is preparing for the worst
The Secretary General recalled that, while working towards the calming of tensions, the Alliance had also prepared for the worst. “In parallel with our efforts on the dialogue track, we are increasing the readiness of our forces, and NATO Allies have also increased their presence, especially in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea region, with more ships and aircraft, partly to get the best possible picture of developments in and around Ukraine, but also to reassure Allies”, he warned. Mr Stoltenberg added that a few weeks ago the Allies had increased the readiness of the Alliance’s rapid reaction force.
“We have plans in place that we can activate, execute in a very short period of time”, he warned, recalling that if Russia used force against Ukraine or another country, “it will have serious consequences”.
Mutually reinforcing responses
In parallel with the delivery of the NATO document, the US Ambassador to Moscow, John Sullivan, delivered the US response, which, according to the US Secretary of State, “sets out a serious diplomatic path forward, should Russia choose it”. The two documents reinforce each other, the Secretary of State said.
According to Mr Blinken, the document, which does not include explicit proposals, focuses on: - the concerns of the United States, its allies and partners about Russia’s actions that undermine security; - a “principled and pragmatic” assessment of the concerns raised by Russia; - areas where common ground could be found.
While the areas cited are similar to those mentioned by NATO, the document also mentions the possibility of reciprocal transparency measures regarding the disposition of forces in Ukraine. “It is not an official negotiating document”, Mr Blinken also told the media.
On Thursday 27 January, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Moscow would respond to the United States in its own time. “It cannot be said that our views have been taken into account or that there is a willingness to take our concerns into consideration”, he lamented.
New meeting of Normandy format advisers in a few days
On the same day, the diplomatic advisers of the German, French, Russian and Ukrainian leaders, meeting in the Normandy format in Paris, agreed to meet again in a fortnight in Berlin.
In a joint statement, they stressed that the Minsk agreements were the basis for the work of the format and expressed their commitment to mitigate current disagreements in future work. The advisers expressed their support for unconditional compliance with the ceasefire and full adherence to the reinforcement of the measures of the 22 July 2020 ceasefire, “irrespective of differences on other issues relating to the implementation of the Minsk agreements”.
They also discussed the importance of the Trilateral Contact Group and its working groups to intensify their activities for rapid progress in the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
European Parliament delegation to Ukraine
In addition, a delegation from the European Parliament, led by the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister (EPP, Germany), and the chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, Nathalie Loiseau (Renew Europe, France), will visit Ukraine from 30 January to 2 February to examine the situation on the ground and to show solidarity with the Ukrainians.
Radosław Sikorski (EPP, Poland), Tonino Picula (S&D, Croatia), Petras Auštrevičius (Renew Europe, Lithuania), Adam Bielan (ECR, Poland), Viola Von Cramon-Taubadel (Greens/EFA, Germany), Jaak Madison (ID, Estonia) and the Parliament’s rapporteur on Ukraine, Michael Gahler (EPP, Germany), will join the mission.
The MEPs will meet with Prime Minister Denys Chmyhal and the Speaker of the Rada, Ruslan Stefantchuk. Mr McAllister said that the mission was not only going to Kiev, but he did not want to give further details for security reasons. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)