On January 10 and 12, high level discussions took place in Geneva and Brussels between Russia and the U.S., and Russia and NATO on European security.The meetings came about as a result of a Russian demand for a binding commitment from the U.S. and NATO to halt NATO’s eastward expansion.

In December 2021, Russia proposed a treaty with the U.S. to bind both parties to “cooperate on the basis of principles of indivisible, equal and undiminished security;” not to “participate in or support activities that affect the security of the other Party;” to “refrain from deploying nuclear weapons outside their national territories and return such weapons already deployed outside their national territories;” and to “not use the territories of other States with a view to preparing or carrying out an armed attack against the other Party or other actions affecting core security interests of the other Party.”[1]

Following the meetings, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Sky News that the “U.S. negotiator in Geneva, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, said in an interview that it was more about evaluating positions rather than talks. This is telling. We arrived at these talks with the positions that we formulated in writing a month before the meeting in Geneva. During this month, the Americans failed to study our proposals in order to arrive at a specific position. They limited themselves to questions and verbal explanations. We are past that stage.” He added “We are waiting for a written response” but “we won’t wait forever.”

From the U.S. side — before, during and after these meetings — we hear nothing but a feverish panic from the monopoly-owned media and bourgeois politicians. Russia is amassing troops to attack Ukraine!

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on January 14 that U.S. Intelligence agencies believe Russia’s “pattern of activity” could signal a ground invasion of Ukraine within the next 30 days. Videos from “unconfirmed sources” purport to show Russian tanks and other military hardware “moving west” towards Ukraine. There’s the proof according to the monopoly media. We are reminded of the fake news of Iraqi soldiers bayonetting babies and Saddam’s “weapons of mass destruction.”

NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is part of this American chorus. “We are clear-eyed about the prospects, also the risks of renewed armed conflict in Europe,'” yet he has not seen fit to even once convoke a meeting of the NATO Russia Council in the past two years!

For its part Canada is in lock step with the U.S. Canada just deployed a contingent from the Canadian Special Operations Regiment to the Ukraine, explained as part of the broader Canadian Armed Forces’ efforts to support Ukraine’s Security Forces. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly has been dispatched to Europe to meet directly with several of her European counterparts and reaffirm Canada’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Meanwhile Canadian monopoly news media carry headlines like “NATO must call Russia’s bluff in Ukraine,” and stridently repeat Biden’s “message to Russia that if they once again decide to use force against Ukraine, it will have severe consequences for Russia.”

Note

1. Proposed Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Security Guarantees, issued by Russian Federation, December 17, 2021.

(TML Daily, posted January 19, 2022)