Former US ambassador to Russia McFaul: Russia should withdraw forces from Georgia
McFaul proposed additional articles to the draft agreement published by the Russian MFA. Photo: BBC
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Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has said that Russia should agree to withdraw forces from Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine as part of the security deal proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian Foreign Ministry published a proposed treaty between Russia and the United States, urging NATO to deny membership to the post-Soviet states.
The United States of America shall not establish military bases in the territory of the States of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics that are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, use their infrastructure for any military activities or develop bilateral military cooperation with them, they wrote.
In response, McFaul proposed additional articles to the draft agreement.
- Article 1. Russia agrees to withdraw its forces from Moldova and restore full sovereignty to this European country.
- Article 2. Russia agrees to withdraw its forces from Georgia, renounce recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent countries, and restore the full sovereignty of Georgia.
- Article 3. Russia agrees to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, return Crimea to Ukraine, stop supporting separatist forces in Ukraine, and restore the full sovereignty of this European country, McFaul wrote.
Now that Putin has published his ideas for a new European security agreement, let me propose some additional articles to the draft agreement. 1/
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) December 17, 2021
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed the alliance's support for the post-Soviet states, saying that the alliance 'will not compromise' on the right of the nations to choose their own path.
Russia has called on NATO member states to rescind the 2008 Bucharest Summit declaration supporting Georgia and Ukraine's bid to become members of the alliance. The statement, issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanded the security guarantees from the United States and its allies.
The United States continues to support NATO’s decision of the 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration that Georgia and Ukraine will become NATO members. A day before the NATO foreign ministerial in Riga the Department of State also underscored that ‘these countries’ Annual National Programs (ANP) detail their path to membership’.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a meeting earlier today wherein a ‘clear vision of Georgia’s eventual integration to NATO’ was discussed. Garibashvili stated that time has come to advance the country’s integration and ‘make concrete political decisions.’
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the College of Europe in Bruges earlier today that ‘NATO’s door remains open’ for Georgia and Ukraine. Stoltenberg said that he was at the NATO summit in Bucharest back in 2008 when the alliance made a decision that Georgia and Ukraine will become its members but they ‘did not set any fixed date’.
Konstantin Gavrilov, the head of the Russian Delegation to the Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control in Vienna, stated earlier today that ‘under no circumstances will Moscow allow the deployment of NATO infrastructure in Georgia and Ukraine.’
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has said that the deployment of NATO infrastructure in Georgia will pose a 'threat' to Russia and its allies.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has denounced Russia's military aggression against Ukraine as a 'threat' to European security following a NATO council held yesterday, noting that Russia invaded neighbouring Georgia and Ukraine and violated international arms control agreements over the last two decades.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has said that the US remains 'unwavering' about Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ambassador Degnan noted the US is willing to negotiate with Russia in order to prevent conflict but will not 'trade away' the sovereignty of any European countries, including that of Georgia.
Rian Harris, the US Charge d'Affaires in Georgia, has reaffirmed the US supports Georgia and Ukraine's sovereignty, pointing out the latter countries had chosen to deepen their ties with the Euro-Atlantic community.