Russia is ready to start talks with the United States on security guarantees "even tomorrow," and Geneva has already been proposed as a host of negotiations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday.
"We are ready immediately, even tomorrow - literally tomorrow, on Saturday, December 18 - to start negotiations with the United States in a third country. In this regard, Geneva has already been proposed to the Americans in order to launch these important negotiations on the basis of those two draft documents that you have and which we expect to promote, expecting a constructive response from the United States," Ryabkov told a press conference.
When asked about when Moscow expects to receive Washington's response, the senior diplomat said that "we haven't been told yes, but we haven't been told no either," while also urging to begin the process as soon as possible.
"How fast or slow? -- first, let's get started. We have the political will. We'll see what happens on the other side. In principle, the issues are so clear and they have been discussed so many times and tried out at various platforms, that I do not see any technical problem with resolving them," Ryabkov stated.
Meanwhile, the White House said earlier in the day that Joe Biden's administration will not hold any talks on European security with Russia until it consults with its European allies.
The security issue has surged in importance on the backdrop of the growing tensions around Ukraine, as Russia stands accused of allegedly deploying troops near the Ukrainian border in preparation for an invasion. Moscow has repeatedly denied those accusations, pointing to NATO's military activity near Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security. Russia has also said it has the right to move forces within its own territory. (ANI/Sputnik)
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor