NATO-Russia Council meeting is scheduled for January 12.
NATO has not yet revealed the topic of the meeting.
TASS - The alliance confirmed that the NATO-Russia Council meeting will take place on January 12, urging Moscow to consider "NATO's concerns about Russia's actions," a NATO official told TASS on Tuesday.
"NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has convened a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on January 12, 2022, in his capacity as Chairman of the NATO-Russia Council," the statement said. According to the NATO official, "any dialogue with Russia would have to proceed on the basis of reciprocity, address NATO's concerns about Russia's actions, be based on the fundamental principles and key documents of European security, and take place in consultation with NATO's European Partners."
NATO has not yet revealed the agenda for the meeting. Previously, Russia confirmed its intention to discuss with NATO proposals on security guarantees, in particular, the withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from Europe, the prevention of NATO forces being deployed near Russian borders, as well as abandoning the policy of involving Ukraine and Georgia in the alliance.
In December, Stoltenberg repeatedly stated that he proposed convening the NATO-Russia Council in early 2022 to address the situation in and around Ukraine and allegations about the alleged increase in Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.
Russian posture
On December 31, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Joe Biden spoke by telephone. Kremlin advisor Yury Ushakov stated that the Russian side was pleased with the contact, praising the conversation as constructive. According to Ushakov, the heads of state focused on upcoming negotiations regarding security guarantees, agreeing to maintain further contact on this issue.
Moscow hopes to secure legal security guarantees, which will prevent NATO from advancing eastward and positioning weapons near Russian borders. As the Kremlin advisor noted, the US president agreed with this position. The Russian leader warned that possible new sanctions against Moscow could result in a rupture of ties with the US and seriously damage its relations with the West in general.
On January 10, Russian-American consultations on security guarantees are scheduled to begin in Geneva.