Russia is demanding that the U.S. and NATO deny Ukraine membership into the alliance and asking for a rollback in military deployments, according to draft security agreements released Friday.
The Russian Foreign Ministry released two documents that were given to the U.S. during a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday.
In a press release, the ministry said U.S. officials were “given detailed explanations” of the treaties, adding that it hopes Washington will “enter serious talks with Russia in the near future.”
A White House official told The Hill, “We are prepared to discuss matters of security and strategic concern with Russia”
“We are having discussions with European allies and partners, and will be in touch with the Russian government on next steps soon,” the official said.
The documents come as the U.S. and allies raise alarms about Russia massing tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine, sparking fears of a possible invasion similar to when Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.
Moscow, meanwhile, says it’s worried about Ukraine’s buildup of troops in the region. Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would seek “reliable and long-term security guarantees” to prevent any NATO movements that would threaten the region.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg separately said the alliance received Russia’s proposals and that “should Russia take concrete steps to reduce tensions, we are prepared to work on strengthening confidence-building measures.”
The proposals to the U.S. and NATO call for the alliance to prevent further eastward expansion, specifically not granting membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet bloc nations.
The drafts also call for all parties to agree not to deploy land-based intermediate- and short-range missiles in areas that allow them to reach other parties.
In its draft proposal to the U.S., Russia is proposing that the U.S. not establish any military bases in former Soviet states that are not members of NATO or develop any bilateral military cooperation with those countries.
The agreement also calls for both sides to refrain from deploying warships and aircraft to areas where they can attack targets in the territory of the other party.
The proposed agreement with NATO specifically calls for the alliance to not deploy any more forces or weaponry to territory that were not there in 1997, except in “cases to eliminate a threat of security of one or more parties” with mutual consent.
HD Editor’s Note: Why Is This News Biblically Relevant?
The amassing of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine has stirred much concern that a potential invasion of Ukraine is on the horizon. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis recently stated that they are “convinced that Russia is actually preparing for the all-out war against Ukraine.”
As tensions increase in the region, European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, on Monday warned that “any aggression against Ukraine” will “will have a high cost for Russia.”
In Matthew 24, the disciples ask Jesus, “What shall be the sign of thy coming?” Jesus’s response is a detailed description of the condition of the world and what it will look like in the last days before His return. Wars and rumours of wars, nation rising against nation, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, these being the beginning of sorrows.
In Luke 21:25, Jesus says, “There will be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth Distress of Nations with Perplexity, the seas and the wave roaring. These things will be greatly increased and primarily take place during the seven-year Tribulation (from which the church is absent). However, with the current global state of turmoil amongst the nations, we can’t help but recognize the distress of nations Jesus describes in Luke 21 and Matthew 24, rising in our world today.
