During the talks between NATO and Russia representatives, the American side has categorically confirmed that European and world security is based on the sovereign right of each country to choose which alliances to join. This statement was made after the end of the NATO-Russia Council by the U.S. representative at the Russia-NATO talks, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.
"I have reaffirmed the fundamental principles of the international system and European security: Every country has the sovereign right to choose its own path", - she wrote on her Twitter page.
As previously reported, the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council had begun at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Alliance in Brussels. Russia was represented by Deputy Defence Minister Colonel-General Alexander Fomin and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg represented NATO. The meeting was taking place as a follow-up to the talks on security guarantees between Russia and the USA, which took place in Geneva on January 9-10. Russia delivered a tough ultimatum to the USA and NATO, demanding not to allow Ukraine and Georgia to join the Alliance, as well as to "roll back" in Eastern Europe to the 1997 positions. The leadership of America and NATO calls these demands unacceptable and raises the question of ending Russian aggression against Ukraine.