Leaked text suggests US-Russia missile deal
Agreement if Moscow steps back from the brink in Ukraine
Brussels, Feb. 2: The United States could be willing to enter into an agreement with Russia to ease tensions over missile deployments in Europe if Moscow steps back from the brink in Ukraine, according to a leaked document published in a Spanish newspaper on Wednesday.
The daily El Pais published two documents purported to be written replies from the United States and Nato last week to Russia’s proposals for a new security arrangement in Europe. The US State department declined to comment on them.
In reference to the second document, Nato said that it never comments on “alleged leaks.” But the text closely reflects statements made to the media last week by Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg as he laid out the 30nation military organisation’s position on Russia’s demands.
The US document, marked as a confidential “non-paper”, said that the United States would be willing to discuss in consultation with its Nato partners “a transparency mechanism to confirm the absences of Tomahawk cruise missiles at Aegis Ashore sites in Romania and Poland.” That would happen on condition that Russia “offers reciprocal transparency measures on two ground-launched missiles bases of our choosing in Russia.”
Aegis Ashore is a system for defending against short-or-intermediaterange
missiles. But Russia has claimed in the past that the US could attack its territory with Tomahawk intermediate-range missiles should they be deployed to Aegis Ashore sites.
The US document said Washington would have to consult with Nato allies on the potential offer, particularly with Romania and Poland. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on the leaked documents, saying only that “we didn’t release anything.”
In comments to the state RIA Novosti news agency, Russia’s Foreign Ministry also refused to confirm or deny that the documents published by El Pais were authentic. Fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine have mounted after President Vladimir Putin deployed more than 100,000 troops. — AP