RUSSIA: EXPECT U.S. ANSWER ON SECURITY GUARANTEES NEXT MONTH
WASHINGTON: The Kremlin said on Friday that it expects the United States to respond next month to Moscow’s request for security guarantees precluding Nato’s expansion to Ukraine.
“To discuss de-escalation, we expect our opponents in Washington to provide specific answers to our proposals in January,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a Friday conference call with reporters.
Separately, new satellite images captured by a private US company show that Russia has continued to build up its forces in annexed Crimea and near Ukraine in recent weeks while pressing the US for talks over security guarantees it is seeking.
Reuters could not independently verify the latest images from US-based Maxar Technologies. The Kremlin reiterated on Friday that it reserves the right to move its own forces on Russian territory as it sees fit and that Western countries were carrying out provocative military manoeuvres near its borders.
US, European and Ukrainian leaders have accused Russia of building up troops again near Ukraine’s border since October after an earlier brief buildup in April, when Maxar also released images. US President Joe Biden and other leaders say Moscow appears to be weighing an attack on Ukraine as soon as next month, something Moscow has repeatedly denied.