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The negotiations on security guarantees between Moscow and Washington took place the day before, January 10, in Switzerland. The delegations of the two states met in Geneva, the conversation lasted almost eight hours, TASS reports. The meeting took place on the territory of the American permanent mission behind closed doors.
Russia and the US once again agreed that a nuclear war should not be unleashed, said Wendy Sherman, first deputy head of the US State Department. There can be no winner in a nuclear war, Sherman added.
In turn, the head of the Russian delegation, Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, noted that the negotiations were lengthy, deep and specific. He clarified that there were no attempts to embellish anything or get around difficult issues. Ryabkov praised the high level of preparation of the American delegation.
The Russian delegation explained why obtaining legal guarantees of NATO's non-expansion is the main and key condition. Russia explained why it is demanding to ensure that military bases and strike weapons of the North Atlantic Alliance do not appear on its borders. Without progress in this area, work in other areas will become more difficult. Moscow will not back down from these demands, Ryabkov stressed. At the same time, he is sure that the parties will be able to find a compromise.
So far, there are no answers to the most important questions, the deputy minister added. Nevertheless, the head of the Russian delegation believes that there is still some ground for the agreement.
The conversation also touched upon Ukraine with Moscow stressing that it is not going to attack the country. Among other topics, the parties discussed the prospects for the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.
Russkiy Mir
