Russia “necessary action if there is no constructive answer”… US “prefers dialogue, but needs to be prepared”
Russia and the West discussed a solution to the military crisis surrounding Ukraine at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the 13th (local time), but as in previous meetings, no agreement was reached.
Ambassadors from 57 OSCE countries, including Russia and the United States, held a permanent board meeting in Vienna, Austria.
OSCE Secretary-General Helga Schmidt called the situation “very dangerous” in the area around the Ukrainian border and called for dialogue to resolve the situation.
However, the participating countries did not reach a meaningful agreement at the OSCE meeting.
Rather, this meeting became a place to reconfirm the difference of positions between the two sides following the bilateral talks between the United States and Russia on the 10th (Geneva, Switzerland) and the NATO meeting with Russia on the 12th (Brussels, Belgium) on the 12th.
Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniev Lau, who chaired the OSCE presidency, said “there was no breakthrough at the Vienna meeting” and that “the risk of war in the OSCE region is now greater than at any other time in the past 30 years”.
Russian ambassador to OSCE, Aleksandr Lukashevich, warned at the meeting that Western countries should not procrastinate and try to turn the talks into futile talks.
“If we do not receive a constructive answer to our proposal within a reasonable time frame, and the offensive line towards Russia continues, Russia will inevitably take all necessary measures to achieve a strategic balance and eliminate unacceptable threats to national security,” he said. will,” he said.
After the meeting, he held a separate press conference and said that “all discussion revolved around concerns from the West, alleging Russia’s aggressive action in relation to the Ukraine crisis.”
He added that Russia will decide when and in what form to take after Vladimir Putin receives a comprehensive report on security negotiations with the US and NATO in relation to Russia’s future steps.
However, US ambassador to OSCE, Michael Carpenter, stressed that the US would not consider any impact or restrictions on countries’ right to choose their allies, Reuters reported.
“We are facing a security crisis in Europe right now,” he said. “We have to take this very seriously.
“We have to be prepared for any contingency that could escalate.”
Ambassador Carpenter emphasized the need for dialogue, but expressed his determination not to yield to Russia’s aggressive language, saying, “We must resolutely reject intimidation and never be compensated through aggression or intimidation.”
The military crisis in the region has escalated as Russia has deployed about 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border since last year.
US intelligence officials warned that Russia could invade Ukraine as early as this year, but Russia denies this, arguing that the US and NATO are threatening Russia by providing military support to Ukraine.
/yunhap news
