US, NATO Deliver Written Responses to Russia's Security Demands

Facts

• Amid increasing tensions, the US and NATO delivered separate but 'mutually re-enforcing' written submissions to Russia on Wednesday.¹
• In a joint press conference, US Sec. of State Anthony Blinken and NATO Sec. General Jens Stoltenberg said that their overture shows they're serious about a diplomatic path forward – while conceding 'there's no secret that we're far apart.'¹
• Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, gave a muted response to the documents, saying serious conversation could start on secondary issues, but that on the primary questions of Russia's security there was no positive reaction.²
• In spite of the apparent standoff, the documents are with Putin for consideration. Blinken and Lavrov are due to meet in the next few days.³

Sources: ¹Axios, ²The Moscow Times and ³CBS.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Axios. In light of Russia's troop movements and its imminent threat of invading Ukraine, these documents show the US and NATO are serious about diplomacy, while ruling out compromise on 'core principles' such as Ukraine's possible entry into NATO or keeping offensive weapons systems out of the country.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by RT. NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns, at their peril. NATO broke its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification, and Russia must draw a red line at Ukraine.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Substack. Tensions in Ukraine have their roots in 2014 when a pro-Russian government was removed with the defacto backing of the US. The US is largely responsible for the ratcheting up of tensions by delivering arms and whipping up a frenzy about Russia's troop movements within its own borders.