Leonid Slutskiy: “Stoltenberg’s statements that Ukraine’s joining NATO is not a subject for compromise and negotiations with Russia shows that the Alliance Secretary General has not thoroughly worked out Moscow’s initiatives. We did not offer an “a la carte menu” for choosing negotiating positions. The draft agreement on security measures for the Russian Federation and the NATO member states is comprehensive. And its Article 6 directly reads: “The participants, which are member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, accept obligations that exclude further NATO expansion, including the accession of Ukraine, as well as other states.”
If the NATO Secretary General is not cunning, speaking of his readiness to conduct a dialogue with Moscow and convene the Russia-NATO Council in January, he cannot continue to use the old rhetoric and ignore the Russian “red lines”. Today, President Vladimir Putin has sent all the signals clearly and clearly: Russia will not be satisfied with attempts to “blabber” this question, “a clear, comprehensive answer” is needed.
And the “naphthalene mantras” about the alleged pulling together of Russian troops to the borders of Ukraine are just a screen for pumping this country with weapons from the West. And this directly raises questions of general security.”
