Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Russia-US talks on security pact kick off with Putin's sharp rhetoric

by Agencies

ISTANBUL Dec 21, 2021 - 3:42 pm GMT+3
This combination photo shows U.S. President Joe Biden (L) speaking at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on March 15, 2021, and Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking at a press conference in Moscow, Russia, March 5, 2020. (AFP Photo)
This combination photo shows U.S. President Joe Biden (L) speaking at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on March 15, 2021, and Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking at a press conference in Moscow, Russia, March 5, 2020. (AFP Photo)
by Agencies Dec 21, 2021 3:42 pm
RECOMMENDED
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic talks during a news conference with Prime Minister Ana Brnabic in Belgrade, Serbia, June 7, 2023. (EPA Photo)

Serbian President Vucic announces snap polls amid protests

SERBIA

Contacts have begun between Russia and the United States on the issue of security guarantees, with a possibility that the sides can reach an understanding, the RIA news agency quoted a Russian diplomat as saying Tuesday.

Russia has yet to decide what steps it will take if the Washington-led NATO bloc refuses to consider its position, senior security negotiator Konstantin Gavrilov said, as Reuters reported, but Brussels understands that Moscow is not bluffing.

Last week Moscow presented demands to the United States and NATO saying the alliance must not admit new members or establish military bases in ex-Soviet countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Tuesday that Moscow was prepared to take "military-technical measures" in response to "unfriendly" Western actions over the Ukraine conflict, in a sharp escalation of rhetoric.

The Russian president has for weeks accused the United States and the Washington-led NATO military alliance of stoking tensions near Russia's borders, but these were his first comments hinting at potential conflict.

Putin told defense ministry officials that if the West continued its "obviously aggressive stance," Russia would take "appropriate retaliatory military-technical measures."

Russia "will react toughly to unfriendly steps," he said, underscoring, "we have every right to do so."

The United States has been sounding the alarm since mid-November that Moscow could be planning a large-scale attack on its ex-Soviet neighbor Ukraine and has warned Putin of unprecedented sanctions.

Western governments have accused Moscow of amassing some 100,000 troops near its border with eastern Ukraine, where Kyiv has been fighting pro-Russia separatists since 2014.

Russia denies plotting an invasion and has demanded legal guarantees over its security from the United States and NATO, demanding the alliance stop an eastward expansion.

"We are extremely concerned that elements of the U.S. global missile defense system are being deployed next to Russia," Putin said, specifying that Romania and Poland would soon be capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles.

'Doorstep of our house'

"If this infrastructure moves further – if U.S. and NATO missile systems appear in Ukraine – then their approach time to Moscow will be reduced to seven or 10 minutes," he said, adding that the time would be cut even shorter with hypersonic weapons.

Despite hinting at a conflict, Putin said that Russia wants to avoid "bloodshed."

"We want to resolve issues by political and diplomatic means," he said, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

But the Russian leader repeated his grievances over Washington's support for Ukraine, which includes training Kyiv's forces and committing to them more than $2.5 billion.

Those actions, Putin said, are taking place "at the doorstep of our house."

And even if Moscow receives U.S. security guarantees, Putin said he would be wary of them because "the United States easily withdraws from all international treaties that for one reason or another become uninteresting to them."

The West has warned that Putin could use the pretext of provocations in Ukraine to launch a full-scale attack.

Kyiv and its Western allies say Moscow has long been involved in the Ukraine conflict, sending troops and weapons to support the separatists in fighting that has claimed over 13,000 lives.

Russia denies the claims and has warned that Kyiv has mobilized half its forces to the eastern conflict zone.

Ukraine's military collapsed in 2014 in the face of Russia seizing Crimea and pro-Moscow separatists grabbing two regions in the Russian-speaking east soon after.

But Kyiv's forces have since modernized and acquired attack drones from NATO member Turkey, which drew the ire of Putin when Ukraine deployed them in October.

RECOMMENDED
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic talks during a news conference with Prime Minister Ana Brnabic in Belgrade, Serbia, June 7, 2023. (EPA Photo)

Serbian President Vucic announces snap polls amid protests

SERBIA
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    ukrainian tensions russia ukraine vladimir putin security pact nato
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A woman checks currency rates on a digital currency rate board at an exchange office in Istanbul, Türkiye, May 22, 2023. (EPA Photo)

    Turkish lira down about 7% as markets weigh economic policy path

    Turkish-economy
    A view shows a flooded area after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine, June 7, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

    Erdoğan offers dam crisis mediation in calls to Putin, Zelenskyy

    Kakhovka-dam

    World Bank, OECD up 2023 growth forecasts for Turkish economy

    Turkish-economy

    New discoveries help lift Türkiye's daily oil output to 32-year high

    energy-market
    No Image
    Rows of locked shops confront bargain hunters in India's Gauhati
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021