Delivered Directly By US Ambassador To Moscow, Washington Delivers Written Response To Russia's Security Demands

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (Wikimedia Commons/US Department of State)

JAKARTA - The United States delivered a written reply on Wednesday to sweep away Russia's security demands, a key step in a fragile diplomatic process as Russia holds new military exercises on land and sea near Ukraine.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the document, which was handed over in person by the US Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan, addressed Russia's concerns and raised concerns of the United States and its allies.

He told reporters the response sets a serious diplomatic path forward, should Russia so choose, and has a principled and pragmatic evaluation of Moscow's concerns. He added that the United States was open to dialogue.

"Writing something down is a good way to make sure we are as precise as possible, and Russia understands our position, our ideas, as clearly as possible. Right now, the documents are with them and the ball is in their court," Foreign Minister Blinken said, citing Reuters January 27.

Washington has made clear that Russia's demands for NATO to withdraw troops and weapons from eastern Europe and bar Ukraine from joining are not a start. But said it was ready to discuss other topics such as gun control and confidence-building measures.

Whether President Vladimir Putin is ready to accept such a limited agenda will determine the next phase of the crisis, with Moscow already amassing some 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine while denying any plans to attack.

Separately, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told the Interfax news agency, when asked how much time it would take Russia to study the NATO response:

"We'll read it. Study it. The partners studied our project for almost a month and a half."

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia to "immediately defuse the situation", saying disagreements should be resolved through dialogue. And, each country should be free to decide its own security arrangements.

In Paris, diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany held more than eight hours of talks to end the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, part of a wider crisis between Moscow and Kyiv that risks becoming a full-scale war.

Earlier on Wednesday, responding to comments by US President Joe Biden that he would consider imposing sanctions personally on President Vladimir Putin, Russia said such a move would not hurt the Kremlin leader but would be "politically damaging".

President Biden said on Tuesday that personal sanctions against President Putin, although a rare move, could be seen as part of a concerted effort by Washington and its allies to convince Moscow that any new aggression against Ukraine would inflict heavy and swift losses.

Meanwhile, Russia is holding new military exercises on land and in the Black Sea, moving more paratroopers and fighter jets to Belarus, north of Ukraine, for what it describes as joint exercises there next month.

Ukraine says Russia is trying to sow panic. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Moscow had not amassed enough troops for a large-scale attack, but that that didn't mean it couldn't do it later.