MOSCOW, Dec 21 - RIA Novosti. There is a possibility of reaching an understanding with the United States on security guarantees, contacts have begun, said Konstantin Gavrilov, head of the Russian delegation at the Vienna talks on military security and arms control.
Earlier, the State Department said that the Russian security proposals submitted to the United States did not dispel Washington's concerns.
"I think it was an initial reaction... The first reaction to the unexpected decision to put forward these projects: both contracts and agreements. I think, after all, NATO and Washington perfectly understand what is being discussed and are aware of it," Gavrilov said on the Full Contact broadcast on the Solovyov Live YouTube channel.
"And I think it's even realistic that negotiations will begin. And they are already slowly beginning, there are already contacts (assistant to the President of the Russian Federation - ed.) Yuri Ushakov with the adviser to the President of the United States. Both (NATO Secretary General Jens - ed.) Stoltenberg and (US State Department representative Ned - ed.) Price spoke - completely different assessments. But, as you understand, reaching agreements on an agreement - it likes silence, and there are quite chances to advance something sufficiently in real terms. I hope so," Gavrilov said.
On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry published drafts of a treaty with the United States and an agreement with NATO on security guarantees. The documents have already been handed over to Washington and its allies. One of the points of the draft is that NATO should provide guarantees of non-expansion of the alliance into the territory of Ukraine. As Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told RIA Novosti, if NATO and the United States do not respond to Russia's demand for security guarantees, this could lead to a new round of confrontation.
