[이데일리 장영은 기자] Diplomatic steps are in full swing to resolve the Ukraine crisis, where military tensions have risen to an extremely high level. In the meantime, Russia and the West have increased their deterrence as much as possible by deploying their military forces near Ukraine, but this time they have come up with a breakthrough through negotiations.
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US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln said at a press conference on the 26th (local time) that “Ambassador Sullivan (USA to Russia) delivered our written response in Moscow today.” said. President Joe Biden was also deeply involved in the writing process, he added.
Russia said that Ukraine’s push to join NATO seriously infringes on its own security, deployed 100,000 troops to the border area with Ukraine, and deployed a large number of troops and weapons to its ally Belarus under the pretext of military training. moved There is a growing tension that Russia could invade Ukraine at any time. “Perhaps from now to mid-February, we can clearly see all the signs that Russia is using its military force against Ukraine,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said.
To resolve this situation, the US and Russia had a series of meetings with their vice foreign ministers and ministers, and at the foreign ministers’ meeting held on the 21st, Russia submitted a written request for security guarantees to the US side. Russia has clearly promised Ukraine’s failure to join NATO, and is of the position that NATO should withdraw its military training and deployment in the former Soviet Union (Soviet) countries.
The details of the US response were not disclosed, but it seems to have reaffirmed the position that Russia’s main request, Ukraine’s ban on NATO accession, is unacceptable. Instead, it is observed that alternatives such as inspection of military facilities in Eastern Europe and suppression of mutual military training were suggested.
“Russia claims this crisis is about its defense, military training, weapons systems and security agreements,” said Deputy Secretary of State Sherman. There are specific and interactive steps we can take to advance control.”
NATO also delivered a written response to Russia’s security claims through the Russian ambassador to Belgium. On the 15th of last month, Russia demanded a security agreement with NATO stipulating that it would ban additional countries from the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine, from joining NATO and that it would not deploy military forces in neighboring countries.
France and Germany held a head-to-head meeting with Ukraine and Russia on the same day to settle a dispute in Donbas (Donetsk and Lugansk Oblast) in eastern Ukraine. Although a line was drawn that is separate from the crisis of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there is concern that the Donbas region, where the conflict between the government army and pro-Russian rebels does not cease, could be a cause for Russian invasion. The four countries agreed to meet in Berlin, Germany within two weeks, supporting their commitments to maintain a ceasefire.
As Blincoln noted, the ball now goes to Russia. The international community is paying attention to whether the United States and NATO will continue to discuss other alternatives for security, or whether to implement the existing requirements by raising tensions through military training.
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