MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/: Russia still has a chance to reach a consensus with its Western partners on issues of security guarantees, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
When asked by the president whether there is a change to reach an agreement with the Western partners on the key security issues of concerns of the Russian side, the minister answered in the affirmative. "After all, as a foreign minister, I should say that there always is a chance," he said.
Lavrov stressed the importance of "consistent explanatory work" on corresponding matters. Apart from that, in his words, Moscow is ready "to listen to serious counterarguments." "We - both you and other Russian representatives - have repeatedly said that we warn about the inadmissibility of endless talk on issues that need to be settled today," he noted. "I don’t think our possibilities have been exhausted, but, naturally, they should not last endlessly. However, I would suggest we continue these efforts at this stage."
On December 17, 2021, the Russian foreign ministry released a draft agreement on security guarantees between Russia and the United States, and a draft agreement on ensuring the security of Russia and NATO member states. The proposed measures include guarantees that NATO will not advance eastward, including the accession of Ukraine and other countries into the alliance, as well as non-deployment of serious offensive weapons, including nuclear ones. The sides have had several rounds of consultations in various formats but no agreements have yet been announced.
