Ukraine seeks to take part in Russia-NATO security talks

ANKARA

Ukraine’s foreign minister said Friday that his country should take part in next month's Russia-NATO talks on security issues.

“We support the idea of the US, the EU, NATO talking to Russia as long as the primary topic is ending the international armed conflict, Russia’s war on Ukraine,” Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

“Euro-Atlantic security is at stake in Ukraine, therefore Ukraine should be part of security consultations on the matter,” Kuleba noted.

In a separate Twitter post, Kuleba said only timely and collective action will defend peace, security and stability in Europe.

“Deterrence is the right way to make Russia de-escalate. It’s only a matter of a clear-eyed view of the threat and determination to act collectively and proactively,” he added.

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on NATO to start talks aiming to provide Russia with reliable, legally binding, and long-term security guarantees.

On Dec. 15, Yury Ushakov, a foreign policy advisor to Putin, said that Moscow handed the draft of its proposals to the US and NATO, and two days later the Russian Foreign Ministry published the text of the draft agreements.

Russia and the US will hold their first round of consultations on security guarantees next month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Also in January, Russia plans to engage in talks on security issues with NATO countries, said Lavrov.

NATO and the US have been at loggerheads with Russia over its military buildup along Ukraine’s eastern border, warning it against any military action, while Russia accuses Ukraine and its allies of provocations.

The buildup come several years after Russia's illegal 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.

Russian-backed separatists in Donbas, eastern Ukraine have also drawn international condemnation, as the conflict has taken more than 13,000 lives since 2014, according to UN figures.