The agency's interlocutor noted that & nbsp; NATO is in contact with & nbsp; Russia on & nbsp; this issue. Earlier, the NATO press service reported that & nbsp; 12 & mdash; 13 & nbsp; January, Brussels will host a meeting of the NATO Military Committee at & nbsp; the level of chiefs of general staffs of states & nbsp; & mdash; alliance members.
On & nbsp; Tuesday, the Alliance Secretary General said that & nbsp; NATO offers & nbsp; Russia to hold a meeting of the Council of Russia & nbsp; & mdash; NATO at & nbsp; early 2022 to discuss the situation in & nbsp; Ukraine. With & nbsp; this he & nbsp; emphasized that & nbsp; NATO would never & nbsp; compromise with & nbsp; Russia on & nbsp; Ukraine's right to “ choose its own path '' and & nbsp; apply for & nbsp; joining the & nbsp; alliance, and & nbsp; also about & nbsp; the right of NATO states to protect the rest of the alliance.
The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & nbsp; of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova confirmed on & nbsp; Friday that & nbsp; in & nbsp; Moscow received an offer from & nbsp; Brussels to & nbsp; to convene the Council of Russia & nbsp; & mdash; NATO for & nbsp; discussion of the situation in & nbsp; Ukraine. According to & nbsp; she said, now this proposal is being considered in & nbsp; practical terms. At the & nbsp; at the same time, Zakharova recalled that & nbsp; the activities of the RNC were suspended due to & nbsp; & quot; deliberate unfriendly actions in & nbsp; against the Russian representation at & nbsp; NATO.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman also confirmed Russia's readiness for & nbsp; direct dialogue with & nbsp; NATO on the & nbsp; Russian draft agreements on & nbsp; security guarantees for Russia, excluding further expansion of the alliance to & nbsp; east and & nbsp; deployment of strike weapons systems in & nbsp; p close proximity to & nbsp; & nbsp; Russian borders & nbsp; >
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on December 17 & nbsp; published draft agreements with & nbsp; USA on & nbsp; security guarantees, and & nbsp; also agreements on & nbsp; security measures & nbsp; RF and & nbsp; states & nbsp; & mdash; members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. They were handed over to US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried on December 15 & nbsp; President & nbsp; Russian Federation Vladimir Putin at & nbsp; annual press conference on & nbsp; Thursday said that & nbsp; Russia generally notes the positive reaction of the United States to & nbsp; its proposals for & nbsp; security guarantees. According to the & nbsp; American partners, the Russian leader noted, the United States is ready for the & nbsp; & nbsp; start of these negotiations at & nbsp; the very beginning of the year in & nbsp; Geneva. In addition, earlier the NATO Secretary General confirmed the receipt of Russian proposals on & nbsp; security guarantees in & nbsp; Europe and & nbsp; said that & nbsp; the alliance would analyze & nbsp; them.
Council Russia & nbsp; & mdash; NATO was created in & nbsp; 2002 in & nbsp; as a result of agreements reached with the & nbsp; mediation of the Italian government & nbsp; headed by & nbsp; Silvio Berlusconi. In & nbsp; the framework of the NRC Russia and & nbsp; all countries & nbsp; & mdash; NATO members are presented as equal partners, decisions are made by consensus. The last time a meeting in this format took place in & nbsp; July 2019.2.