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Brussels, Belgium – Foreign policy experts have been waiting for the past week as U.S. and NATO officials have met with Russian members to discuss how to avoid the Ukraine crisis.
As a geopolitical critic, three high-stakes meetings were held in European cities afterwards last month’s talks Between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Wednesday NATO-Russia Council meetingGathered in Brussels after more than two years, officials discussed the importance of dialogue on disarmament and missile deployment.
But speaking to reporters at a press conference, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: “There are big differences between NATO allies and Russia on these issues. Our differences will not be easy to bridge.”
Despite gathering troops on its border with Ukraine, Moscow denies allegations that it is planning an invasion of Kiev and Western powers. The Kremlin has accused NATO of undermining security in the region and has sent a wish list of security requests Most of them say they are “non-beginners” in Washington.
In particular, Russia wants to ban NATO and its allies from joining the alliance with Ukraine and the former Soviet Union.
He also called on NATO to reduce its activities in Eastern Europe.
Fabrice Pothier, head of strategy at Rasmussen’s Global Policy Group, who was named its founder by former NATO leader Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said negotiating with the Kremlin has always been a challenge for the alliance.
“It is very difficult for NATO to do anything that does not protect its interests and values, obviously from the territorial integrity of its allies,” he told Al Jazeera.
“NATO can be committed to transparency, to how its allies inform each other about military exercises, and to placing certain sensitive weapon systems on the borders. But beyond that, NATO will never move.”
The push for Western-led diplomacy intensified at the end of last year after seeing about 100,000 Russian soldiers on the border between Ukraine and Russia.
As well as the NATO ceremony in Brussels, US and Russian officials the crisis was discussed on Monday The week ended in Geneva with a meeting of the European Security and Cooperation Organization (OSCE), the world’s largest security body.
Following a NATO-Russia Council meeting, US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman lamented that there was no “commitment to landing”.
He added that Russia may not be ready yet.
But Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has said that Moscow has made it clear to NATO members that the situation has become “unbearable for Russia”.
At a press conference in Brussels, Grushko condemned NATO’s deployment in Eastern European countries.
“Dissemination does not solve the security problem. Expansion moves dividing lines, not removing them, ”he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also spoke on Friday he took on a harsh tone, saying that he was impatient, and that NATO and the United States must respond to his request in a few days.
Oleg Ignatov, Russia’s senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said Washington and the West could not reach an agreement with Russia because they did not understand the logic behind Russia’s proposals.
“Russia does not want to see Ukraine as a neutral country, but more like a friendly country,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that Ukraine is not the only issue of importance to the Kremlin.
“It simply came to our notice then. So it’s a geopolitical conflict that focuses on Russia’s position and vision, “he said.
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and the OSCE President kicked off Thursday’s meeting in Austria. saying The risk of war in the OSCE has been greater than ever in the last 30 years.
Speaking to Russian television channel Dozhd, Michael Carpenter, the US ambassador to the United States, said: “I don’t think there will be any specific results this week. Our main goal, in principle, is to establish dialogue.”
As the week ended with no solution, Mykola Bielieskov, an analyst at the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Ukraine, said that NATO and Western support would be key to maintaining the country’s sovereignty.
“If we consider only Ukraine and Russia, of course, Russia is more powerful. But with NATO, with the help of our Western allies and our efforts, we have been able to chart a path to deterrence and resilience, ”he told Al Jazeera.
But Ivana Stradner, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Russia and Cybersecurity, explained that although NATO has expanded its presence in Ukraine and other Eastern and Central European countries after the Cold War, the current threats are different.
“Russia is pursuing an advanced form of hybrid warfare in Ukraine, and Moscow has also launched disinformation campaigns in Europe,” he told Al Jazeera.
“NATO’s strength in the gray area must be measured by its success in fighting Russia. The deterrence of hybrid wars is not an easy task, but NATO should deploy its Anti-Hybrid Assistance Group in Eastern Europe.”
While the crisis is raging on European soil, some EU diplomats say they are being sidelined when major decisions are made about Ukraine.
“There is no security in Europe without the security of Ukraine. And it is clear that any debate on European security must involve the EU and Ukraine, “Josep Borrell, the bloc’s top EU foreign and security policy official, told reporters after visiting Ukraine’s frontline in early January.
MEP Viola Von Cramon-Taubadel said the EU’s low presence in the talks was not surprising.
“The EU’s problem is not that it is actively taking a back seat, but that we do not yet have a coherent and unified foreign policy with Russia. Some EU nations are choosing to be neutral with Russia. This leads to delayed statements on our part, and I regret that, “he told Al Jazeera.
Looking ahead, Ignatov said people on the front line remain at risk.
“People on the border do not think in terms of geopolitics. Ending the war is their priority. Unfortunately, they do not have a voice at the diplomatic table. Their interests must be met immediately, “he told Al Jazeera.
Stradner added that while the EU, US and NATO are keen to continue talking to Russia, “Western leaders often show strong words backed by weak actions. The ‘dialogue-fix-everything-approach’ has never worked in Russia and will not work now.”
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