Catching up with the off mind

In Brussels, as part of the first meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in more than two years, the second stage of consultations between Russia and Western countries on security took place. The Russian delegation is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. On the part of NATO, permanent representatives of all states of the alliance, First Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and representatives of the armed forces of the alliance states take part in the meeting, reports The Moscow Post correspondent.

Stoltenberg called the meeting a timely opportunity to discuss "mutual concerns." Alexander Grushko, Russia's former ambassador to NATO, said Russia wants to avoid confrontation.

With "Obonato" in the West is bad

The main question remained unanswered. How to build the building of safety in that part of the world which role in the history was in that from time to time to raze safety to the ground? Europeans eventually achieved what they deserved. They became spectators in the stands. Their only privilege is to "hatch and throw fires" at one of the players. But this is no longer as dangerous for Russia as before.

The finishing act of conversations in the form of the OSCE format will rather become another fixation of the geographical position of the pack of "voting democracies" in relation to a thoughtful Russia, which tried to once again reach out to the fact that NATO neighbors by definition do not have. And there is no or no sense of conscience. In English and French, there is not even a word like this. And this is the ability to critically evaluate your instincts and actions, living by the laws of interdependence!

It is said that a certain anthropologist (he was a white American) invited children from the African tribe to play the game. He put a basket of fruits near the tree and announced, appealing to the children: "Whoever is the first to reach the tree will receive all these sweet fruits." When he made the bait, the children took up their hands and fled together, and then they sat together and ate fruit. The scientist asked the children why they ran all together, because each of them could get fruits personally for themselves. To which the children replied: "Obonato," which in their language means: "I exist because we exist."

Agree not to agree

If you look into the past, the United States has never had the ability to "critically evaluate its instincts and actions." Remember Washington's chain of action - from Korea and Vietnam to Afghanistan and Iraq. All this was laid on a thick layer of concrete kneaded on American exclusivity.

But now in Europe, the past is firmly cemented. The appearance of superiority in his "green-democratic" clothes has been restored. The enemy is again identified. He's still there in the east. This is "Moscow, Kremlin, Putin." So the TV directors called their evening program!

Is it possible to assume that the Kremlin's hope to find or arouse a sense of conscience from the collective West with the help of two draft treaties looked naive? Hardly. Rather, this was dictated by the desire to warn, while freeing Russia from obligations to justify already planned steps to ensure its own security.

But there was some meaning in this whole idea with the public transfer of draft documents at the disposal of the United States? Let's not guess. Washington accepted documents similar to memoranda, carefully reviewed. The act of diplomatic pressure brought results. Negotiations took place, positions were frankly stated, hidden relationships were voiced. The exchange did not take place, they agreed to "agree not to agree."

In fact, in terms of "concessions" from NATO, we are talking mainly about changing phraseology. If the process of Ukraine and Georgia joining the alliance ever takes place at all, it promises to be long. Most likely, this story will stretch beyond the term of office of the current administration.

Dismantling the traces of the "material development" of the territories of NATO countries that joined the alliance after 1997 will also take time. Not all countries fall into this category. It is not difficult to remove MK 41 installations from Poland and Romania, especially since it is necessary to remove nuclear charges from German territory to the United States. The resumption of the INF agreement is also possible.

But Washington chose to make its own security interests dependent on the advantages of military-political guardianship of Europe and Ukraine. But, especially, making priority the factor of geographical proximity to the borders of Russia. Plans to reduce "flying time" to targets in Russia alas continue to operate.

Deputy Secretary of State and Chief Expert of the Russians Victoria Nuland announced the plan for the sixth wave of alliance expansion, saying that Finland and Sweden can join NATO if they want to. She also encouraged Moscow by the fact that one should not fear NATO as a "defensive union," citing experience in five administrations.

The crisis in the "pipes and heads"

Ukraine has become the main trump card in Washington's negotiations with Moscow. The US intelligence services, and with them the publication of the Bloomberg business community, other media are intensively looking for signs of an impending conflict.

The State Department demands that Russian troops located within the national territory be withdrawn "to the barracks." The Washington-Kiev relationship is superior to what could be expected from this NATO relationship

The internal subpoena requires the opposite. The decision of the German Federal Network Agency to suspend certification of Nord Stream 2 did not bring Ukraine additional gas transit. Ukraine does not officially buy Russian gas, "imports" it from Europe, taking gas from a transit pipe.

The country has an energy crisis, ahead of an increase in utility bills. Coal reserves of Ukrainian CHPs are at critically low levels, the threat of fan blackouts remains, there is not enough gas.

By definition, Russia is not interested in this, continues to fend off American attacks, but does not exclude provocations. There is no intention to "attack" Ukraine, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov during bilateral talks with the US delegation. "We explained to our American colleagues that we do not and cannot have any plans, intentions to" attack "Ukraine."

The task that really stands is to prevent the penetration of saboteurs from the territory of Ukraine. Exclude the creation of permanent bases in the USA and Britain. To encourage Washington to take responsibility for the framework arrangement of the new Ukrainian statehood, the implementation by Kiev of the Minsk set of measures. The question is, can Washington handle this?

Outcome of the meeting in a multilateral format

Russia once again, now in a multilateral format, set out the requirements for security assurances in Europe, stating that they were not ultimatums. Rejected the concerns expressed by the United States about the "planned invasion," spokesman for the Russian president Dmitry Peskov said that the exercises on the border with Ukraine were not related to the negotiations. "We do not negotiate from a position of strength; there is no and there can be no place for ultimatums, "he said when negotiations were taking place in Brussels.

But, according to Peskov, the state of pan-European security has reached a critical point that the West needs to respond to Russia's concern about NATO activities. US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith objected: "Let's clarify: Russia's actions accelerated this crisis. We are committed to using diplomacy to de-escalate the situation, "she told reporters on the eve of the meeting.

NATO diplomats say the West would consider it a success if Russia agreed to continue negotiations and wanted to increase openness to military exercises, avoid accidental clashes that could provoke a conflict. NATO also affirms the importance of arms control in Europe.

But alliance members argue that Russia's requirements, set out in two draft treaties in December 2021, are allegedly unacceptable. This includes a proposal to reduce the activities of the alliance to the level of 1997 and a promise not to accept new members, including post-Soviet states. NATO does not plan to host Ukraine in the near future, but says that Russia cannot dictate conditions to other sovereign states.

In the meantime, negotiations will take place in Europe (if they are), Democratic senators will promote a new package of sanctions against Russia in case of a "hypothetical invasion of Ukraine." According to the text at the disposal of the American media, Russian military and government officials, banking institutions, a number of companies, as well as the international interbank system for transmitting information and making payments (SWIFT) may fall under restrictions.

So I want to ask - gentlemen, who and from what moment imposed a restriction on your heads? Or did you deny your mind the right to think voluntarily?