Russia in talks with the US would like to test their ability to make responsible decisions at a difficult moment, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told RIA Novosti on the eve of the Russian-American meeting in Geneva.
According to him, it is difficult for Washington to conduct dialogue with Moscow on a bilateral basis, "because they feel the eyes and ears of the most anti-Russian group in NATO behind them."
"Accordingly, our approach is different, we would like first of all to agree with the US and check whether they are able to make responsible decisions in the current difficult, if not to say alarming, moment in terms of European security," Ryabkov said.
The night before, US and Russian officials had met for dinner - the so-called preliminary talks. Ryabkov leads the Russian interagency delegation, while US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman leads the U.S. delegation.
The deputy head of the Russian foreign ministry described the results of the first meeting as stunning. According to him, the conversation was difficult but businesslike, and the sides "immersed themselves in the matter of things to come."
The main part of the discussion will be held on Monday, January 10. The talks will be held in a closed format at the US post office at the Geneva office of the United Nations.
A Russia-NATO Council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 12 in Brussels, followed the next day by consultations at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna.
In mid-December, Moscow passed draft treaties on mutual security guarantees in Europe to the United States and its allies. These draft treaties deal, in particular, with the non-deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles within each other's reach and NATO's refusal to expand, including at the expense of the former Soviet republics. The Foreign Ministry said that a new round of confrontation is possible if there is no response.
For his part, President Vladimir Putin stressed that further expansion of the alliance eastward and the deployment of offensive weapons in Ukraine and other countries would be a red line for Moscow.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from RIA Novosti