Discussions between the United States and Russia will take a new step on January 10 with a planned dialogue on the Ukrainian dossier and nuclear arms control issues.

Washington and Moscow will negotiate on January 10 over tensions over Ukraine and nuclear arms control, a White House security spokesperson said on Monday (December 27th). “The United States is eager to engage in dialogue with Russia,” said the spokesperson for the National Security Council. Moscow, for its part, has confirmed these talks.

A meeting between Russia and NATO could take place on January 12, followed on January 13 by a meeting between Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), of which the United States is a part. , added the spokesperson. “When we sit down to discuss, Russia can put its concerns on the table and we will put ours on the table, especially Russia's activities,” he said.

Bilateral talks on January 10 will be held as part of the strategic security dialogue launched by Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin at their Geneva summit last June. Although this format is mainly devoted to the renegotiation of post-Cold War nuclear arms control treaties, the discussions will also concern the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border, where Moscow has deployed tens of thousands of troops, said. a senior official in the US executive also wishing to remain anonymous. Meetings with NATO and the OSCE should particularly concern Ukraine.

Ukraine At The Heart Of The Conflict

Russia has been accused of more than a month by the West of having massed large forces on the Ukrainian border, with a view to a possible military intervention against Kyiv. Moscow denies any bellicose intention and claims to be threatened by “provocations” from Kyiv and NATO, and demands that the Alliance undertake not to expand into the former USSR.

In a move that breaks with the generally confidential nature of diplomatic discussions, Russia recently presented two draft treaties to prevent any expansion of the Atlantic Alliance, notably to Ukraine, and to end Western military activities near the borders.

Washington said it was “ready to discuss” these documents while stressing that they understood “certain things that the Russians know unacceptable”. Any agreement with Russia would take Ukrainian interests into account, the spokesperson for the National Security Council said on Monday. “Nothing that concerns our allies and partners” will be negotiated “without our allies and partners, including Ukraine”, he insisted.

Moscow said on Saturday that more than 10,000 Russian soldiers had returned to their bases after month-long exercises in southern Russia, especially near the Ukrainian border.