We had a frank and forthright discussion over the course of nearly eight hours at the U.S. mission in Geneva. US Deputy Secretary Wendy R. Sherman, who is the US chief negotiator in security talks with Russia in Geneva stated about it, State Department reports.
“The United States came to today’s extraordinary meeting prepared to hear Russia’s security concerns and to share our own. We came as well with a number of ideas where our two countries could take reciprocal actions that would be in our security interests and improve strategic stability. The United States offered to meet again soon to discuss these bilateral issues in more detail,” Sherman said.
According to her, they also made clear that the United States is open to discussing the future of certain missile systems in Europe – along the lines of the now defunct INF Treaty between the U.S. and Russia.
US is also open to discussing ways it can set reciprocal limits on the size and scope of military exercises, and to improve transparency about those exercises, again on a reciprocal basis – and appreciating this will also be a topic of discussion in the NATO-Russia Council and at the OSCE meeting this week.
According to Sherman, the United States and Russia agree that a nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought. She reaffirmed that the United States cannot make decisions about Europe, including the Ukraine, without their participation.
“We were firm, however, in pushing back on security proposals that are simply non-starters for the United States. We will not allow anyone to slam closed NATO’s “Open Door” policy, which has always been central to the NATO Alliance,” US Deputy Secretary stated.
