NATO must reject military buildup of its eastern members

Senior Russian diplomats led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov met with their US counterparts in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday to discuss a pair of Russian security proposals laid out in mid-December outlining ways to considerably ease tensions between Moscow and the Western bloc, Sputnik has reported.

NATO must reject the principle of the military development of its eastern flank, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at a press conference after Monday's discussions in Geneva with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and other US officials.

The diplomat warned that any attempts by the US and NATO to blackmail and intimidate Russia on Ukraine are "unacceptable" from Moscow's perspective, and will not yield any results. He stressed that "playing with fire" was not in Washington's interest, and that "radical changes" were necessary in the Russia-NATO relationship.

Ryabkov stressed that NATO's non-enlargement, a commitment not to place missiles near Russia's borders, and barring Kiev from joining the Western bloc were "imperatives" as far as Russia is concerned.

KI/PR