US, NATO Letters Responding To Russian Demands Leaked By El Pais

Spain's El Pais has published the two letters submitted by the United States and NATO to Russia on the latter's demands on security guarantees. The letters offer Russia continued top-level talks on a number of issues, but hold firm on NATO's ability to expand further based on request. Below are some more pertinent extracts from the US letter.

• "We are ready to consider arrangements or agreements with Russia on issues of bilateral concern, to include written, signed instruments, to address our respective security concerns. [...] The United States continues to firmly support NATOs Open Door Policy. [...] We are also prepared for a discussion of the indivisibility of security - and our respective interpretations of that concept - as raised in Article 1 of Russia's draft bilateral treaty."
• "Force Posture in Ukraine: US Position: The US is willing to discuss conditions-based reciprocal transparency measures and reciprocal commitments by both the US and Russia to refrain from deploying offensive ground-launched missile system and permament forces with a combat mission in the territory of Ukraine."
• "US, NATO, and Russian Force Posture: US Position: ...Further Russian increases to force posture or further aggression against Ukraine will force the US and our Allies to strengthen our defensive posture."
• From the NATO letter: "No other partner [than Russia] has been offered a comparable relationship or a similar institutional framework. Yet Russia has broken the trust at the core of our cooperation and challenged the fundamental principles of the global and Euro-Atlantic security architecture [...] The reversal or Russia's military build-up in and around Ukraine will be essential for substantive progress."