Lavrov: US Sanctions Threat 'Arrogant And Absurd'

Rhetoric from Russian officials regarding US/NATO talks continues to deteriorate this morning, with TASS reporting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called US threats of sanctions in the event of a Russian incursion into Ukraine 'arrogan and absurd'.

• Lavrov also claims that in the past the US and the UK made promises to Russia not to expand NATO. Likely referring to promises supposedly made by the George H.W. Bush administration in 1990 to then-Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev.
• Lavrov says that negotiations on security guarantees with the United States "went as we expected". Says that the US promised to 'put on paper' a response to Russia's demand for security guarantees next week, while NATO will do so within a week.