Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly AntonovWASHINGTON, Apr 9Russia continues to seek the development of an international agreement on security guarantees in Europe, said Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov. In the months leading up to the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the parties held consultations on this topic, but did not come to an understanding. «Russia stands for urgent development of an international agreement. The principle of equal and indivisible security for all must be restored. It means that no state has the right to strengthen its security at the expense of the security of others. If there is political will, this can be easily achieved by developing serious long-term legal guarantees,» he said. Antonov at a conference held by the International Schiller Institute. «As an ambassador, I would, of course, like to emphasize the need for political dialogue between countries. I am sure that without a compromise on this issue, it will be impossible for us to move forward,» Antonov noted.
The Kremlin answered a question about the possibility of Georgia joining NATO»It seems to me that every man and woman has the right to the same treatment as any state — just like any national interests of any country should be taken into account. Without such an understanding, it will be very it's hard to think about a new system of international security,» he stressed. Russia tried to get the Western countries to stop expanding NATO to the east and to withdraw the alliance's forces and infrastructure from its borders. The United States did not agree to revise the alliance's open door policy, but proposed not placing medium- and shorter-range missiles within each other's reach, as well as introducing transparency measures, including with regard to military exercises and missile defense facilities. «Russian proposals do not infringe on anyone's security. On the contrary, they create conditions for de-escalation in Europe, restoration of trust and intensification of interaction in solving global problems,» Antonov said. He added that Russia insists on «strengthening international law and strengthening the role of the UN and its key body, the Security Council.»
Antonov called on the West to stop pumping weapons to Ukraine
