Lavrov: US declined to give guarantees of non-expansion of NATO to the East

“There is no positive reaction on the main issue in this document. The main issue is our clear position on the inadmissibility of further expansion of NATO to the east and the deployment of strike weapons that could threaten the territory of the Russian Federation”, - Lavrov said (quoted by RIA Novosti).

The Minister believes that the US is deliberately silent about the need to follow the principle of indivisibility of security.

“It is significant that now, when Western colleagues react to our proposals to agree on legally binding guarantees in the Euro-Atlantic, they always call for the implementation of the agreed principles regarding the security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic. They immediately say: this means that NATO has the right to expand, no one has the right to forbid NATO members to consider the appeals of any other country. The principle that one cannot strengthen one's security at the expense of the security of others is deliberately hushed up”, - the diplomat believes.

At the moment, the parties are not publishing the text of the responses on security guarantees, which US Ambassador John Sullivan delivered to the Russian Foreign Ministry in writing the night before. It is known that Ukraine received a copy of the document. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken clarified that the responses sent are not an official document.

According to "Kommersant", the Russian foreign minister believes that in the near future the text would be available to the public.

“As for the content of the response, I think it will soon become known to the general public, because, as our American colleagues told us, although they prefer the document to remain for a confidential diplomatic dialogue, it is agreed with all US allies and with the Ukrainian side. . Therefore, I have no doubt that in the very near future it will leak”, - Lavrov said.

According to CNN , US officials have said that Russia is likely to publish the text of the responses after receiving them.

Meanwhile, the situation around Ukraine continues to deteriorate. A few days earlier, it was reported about the transfer of NATO troops to Eastern Europe. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said that direct contacts with the leadership of Ukraine are inappropriate, because "it's pointless to talk to such politicians who are lying".