Russia NATO military posture

The Russian government is urging the U.S. to respond quickly to its demand for guarantees against military threats.

"I think the U.S. will try to drag this out, but we need an answer urgently," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, according to the RIA news agency. "The situation is very difficult." The government in Moscow is demanding an assurance from the West that it will abandon military activities in Ukraine and Eastern Europe and refrain from expanding NATO.

Relations between Russia and NATO have reached a "moment of truth," said Konstantin Gavrilov, a Russian diplomat in Vienna. Each member of the military alliance, despite its strength and power, understands very well that concrete political measures must be taken, he said. "Otherwise, the alternative is a military-technical and military response by Russia," the RIA news agency quoted him as saying.

The Kremlin said that the information received so far from “various sources” about U.S. willingness to negotiate was positive. However, it was still too early to discuss it, it said. A "substantial" response from Washington is still pending, a Kremlin spokesman said.

In the West, Russian troop movements on the border with Ukraine have raised concerns. The 27 EU leaders had sent a strong warning to Russia at their summit last week. U.S. President Joe Biden had warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against a military escalation in the Ukraine crisis. The government in Moscow denies invasion plans.