MOSCOW, Jan 27 Russia is determined to continue dialogue with Western countries, but will firmly defend our position and national interests, said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin. «We at all levels, starting from the main level — the President of Russia, have very clearly stated our position on all issues. Moreover, the peculiarity of our policy lies, first of all, in its transparency,” he stressed in an interview with reporters.January 12, 08:43 Infographic Draft agreement on security guarantees between Russia and NATOInfographic View In recent months, relations between Russia and the West have become even more tense, and the situation around Ukraine has worsened. Washington and Brussels accuse Moscow of preparing an «invasion», declaring that Russian troops are being pulled up to the border with a neighboring state. Against this background, the North Atlantic Alliance is strengthening its presence in Eastern Europe. In particular, on January 24, it became known about the transfer of a Danish frigate to the Baltic and four Danish fighters to Lithuania, Spanish ships and Dutch fighters to Bulgaria, as well as the possible dispatch of French units to Romania. Moscow rejects all claims, emphasizing that they are moving troops within their territories. The Russian side also recalls that Ukraine does not comply with the Minsk agreements, which provide for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the line of contact. Now Kiev has concentrated half of the army’s personnel on the border with the self-proclaimed DNR and LNR and regularly shells the militias, including using prohibited equipment — the Javelin anti-tank missile system and the Bayraktar attack drone.
Yesterday, 16:39 InfographicHow much the United States spends on containing RussiaInfographicViewThe Kremlin and the Foreign Ministry have repeatedly indicated that the goal of the “aggression” stories is to build up a foreign group near the Russian borders. In addition, they explained that the main reason for the escalation in Ukraine is the actions of the United States and NATO, which send military instructors, weapons and equipment there, increase the number of exercises, thereby pushing Kiev to military adventures. At the end of last year, Moscow handed over projects to Brussels and Washington security assurance documents. The Kremlin insists on ending the bloc's military cooperation with the post-Soviet countries, refusing to establish bases on their territory, limiting the deployment of strike weapons near the Russian border, removing American nuclear weapons from Europe and not expanding NATO to the east. On January 27, Russia received a written response. The Foreign Ministry said that Western partners ignored the most important issue of non-expansion of the alliance.
