Moscow. January 9th. INTERFAX - Statements by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following an extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the alliance countries do not carry anything new, will not affect Russia's decision to negotiate security guarantees in Brussels, said Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko.
"Nothing new. Slogans wandering from one statement to another," Grushko told Interfax on Sunday.
Grushko will lead the Russian delegation to the negotiations in Brussels within the framework of the Russia-NATO Council on January 12.
As the high-ranking diplomat stressed, such statements "will in no way affect Russia's readiness to negotiate with NATO on security guarantees."
"We will talk directly with the member countries there," Grushko said.
Earlier, Stoltenberg called Russia's readiness to sit down at the negotiating table a positive signal. "Because when tensions are high, dialogue becomes even more important," the Secretary General said.
At the same time, he pointed to Russia's unjustified military buildup in and around Ukraine. "Despite the calls of the international community, for many weeks Russia has not taken steps to de-escalate," Stoltenberg said.
The buildup of Russian forces, according to him, continues, threatening rhetoric sounds from Russia. "The risk of conflict is real. Russia's aggressive actions seriously undermine the order of security in Europe," the Secretary General of the alliance said, assuring that NATO countries continue to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, to provide it with political and practical support.
"All countries, regardless of their size or who their neighbors are, have a fundamental right to choose their own path and their alliances," the NATO Secretary General said.
