MOSCOW:
Russia’s top diplomat advised President Vladimir Putin on Monday to continue talks with the West on Russian security demands amid tensions over Ukraine.
The statement by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appeared to signal the Kremlin’s intention to stay on a diplomatic path even though the United States has warned that Moscow could invade Ukraine at any moment.
Speaking at the start of a meeting with Putin, Lavrov suggested that Moscow should maintain a dialogue with the US and its allies even though they have rejected Russia’s main security demands.
Moscow wants guarantees from the West that NATO won’t allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members and that the alliance will halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe.
Putin has yet to formulate Russia’s formal response to those proposals.
With the world already on high alert, UK Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said a Russian attack could “effectively now happen with no notice.” (IANS)