A senior Russian diplomat said on Wednesday that Moscow could sign bilateral non-aggression pacts with NATO member states. The move would pave the way for a new security architecture in Europe and was discussed during peace talks on Ukraine.
Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s chief negotiator at the Abu Dhabi meeting, said that the idea of a new security framework for Europe was the central focus of the two days of talks in Abu Dhabi. However, he did not provide details on the specific issues discussed.
Aleksei Drobinin, a senior diplomat at the Russian Foreign Ministry, outlined a series of detailed proposals on the idea at a security conference in Moscow, Agerpres reports, citing Reuters.
The first option proposed is to conclude bilateral mutual assistance agreements, similar to those Russia has with Belarus and North Korea.
The second option mentioned by the official is to sign political agreements stipulating that neither signatory will assist the other’s adversaries in the event of aggression, as provided for in the pact between Moscow and Iran.
The third option is bilateral non-aggression pacts.
Some European politicians oppose any discussion of Europe’s overall security architecture, arguing that a ceasefire in Ukraine must come first.