Moscow today conveyed to Washington representatives specific proposals aimed at working out legal guarantees to ensure the security of the Russian Federation and NATO's non-proliferation to the East, an aide to the Russian president, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters on Wednesday following a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"The president informed that literally today in our Foreign Ministry, American representatives were given concrete proposals aimed at working out legal guarantees to ensure Russia's security," he said.
According to the diplomat, Putin stressed that Moscow was ready to immediately start negotiations on this extremely important issue. "He expressed hope that the Americans and NATO members would respond positively to this," the Kremlin spokesman added.
At the same time, he continued, the Chinese president stressed that he understood Russia's concern over this issue and fully supported Russia's initiative to work out appropriate security guarantees. "The sides have agreed to maintain contacts on this issue. We will keep our Chinese colleagues informed of the current negotiations and contacts with our American and NATO partners in this regard," Ushakov said.
Asked about the Chinese leader's awareness of Moscow's package of proposals on security guarantees in Europe, Ushakov stressed that since Xi Jinping "specifically stated that he supports Russia's demands for guarantees, naturally he is well aware of it." "He understands the concerns Russia has on its western borders," the Kremlin spokesman added.
Ushakov stressed that Russia intends to publicly discuss its US proposals on security guarantees, as this issue is extremely important for Moscow.
The Russian side in talks with Washington on security guarantees will be represented by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. "We have Deputy Foreign Minister [Sergey] Ryabkov in charge of the strategic dialogue with the United States. Obviously, he will continue discussing this topic with the Americans," Ushakov said.
The Kremlin spokesman also said that he is scheduled to have a telephone contact with a US administration representative on the topic of security guarantees in Europe on December 15, but he would not name his interlocutor. "I can't [name]. There is an agreement, I don't want to let my colleagues down, it will be a private conversation," Ushakov added.
Counterproductivity of the Summit for Democracy
Ushakov also said that the Russian president and the Chinese president also discussed the US-organized "Summit for Democracy," with the leaders unanimous in their assessments of the counterproductivity of such events.
"The leaders touched on the "Summit for Democracy" held the other day on the initiative of Washington. Both the president [of Russia] and the chairman [of China] were unanimous in their assessments of the fact that the event was conceived as [confrontational] from the very beginning. That is what it actually became," said the Kremlin spokesman.
According to the diplomat, the Chinese leader described as obvious "the negative charge of the American idea, the focus of this idea on planting new dividing lines." "Putin and Xi Jinping stressed that all this is very counterproductive, especially in the current complex international situation," the Russian presidential aide concluded.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS