The dialogue will be about “common goals,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price at a news conference Tuesday.
– We have always given complete and thorough briefings to our allies after previous meetings, he emphasizes.
But he also says the United States wants a bilateral talks with the Russians.
“We stand together as a NATO alliance in terms of the consequences it will have for Russia if they do something about Ukraine, but we are also united in our willingness to participate in diplomacy with Russia in principle,” Price said.
Unacceptable claims
Talks between Russian and US diplomats will take place in Geneva on January 10. On the agenda is the tense conflict over Ukraine and security guarantees that the Russians have demanded from the United States and NATO.
Recently, Moscow put forward a number of proposals to help limit NATO’s involvement in former Soviet republics, such as Ukraine and Georgia.
“The Russians are fully aware that there are things in these proposals that are unacceptable to the United States and our European allies and partners,” Price said.
But he stresses that the United States will still try to find opportunities for dialogue and discussion to ensure a reduction along the border between Ukraine and Russia.
Conversations three days in a row
Russia has, among other things, proposed that NATO provide guarantees that Ukraine cannot become a NATO member. The Americans, for their part, have said that it will not be relevant to make decisions over the heads of allied countries, not even Ukraine.
According to the White House, Russia and NATO are planning separate talks on January 12, two days after the Russian-American meeting.
According to the United States, a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will also be held on 13 January.
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