Russia Ukraine: Moscow lists demands for defusing Ukraine tensions

Tension has been rising between Russia and Western countries, who fear Russia plans to invade its neighbour Ukraine.

Russia denies this, but says Nato must rule out Ukraine and others ever joining Nato to defuse the situation.

Moscow wants urgent talks with the US - but its proposals are being viewed as a non-starter in Washington.

Responding to Moscow's call for direct negotiations with the US, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters: "There will be no talks on European security without our European allies and partners."

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Nato, which was originally set up to defend Europe against possible threats from the former Soviet Union, has forces in the Baltic republics and Poland.

What is the Nato defence alliance?
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia had given the US and Nato two draft treaties. There was no other option, he said, as the "state of relations between Russia and the collective West is a total lack of trust".

In the proposals Russia sets out a series of radical demands, which require countries that joined Nato after the fall of the Soviet Union not to deploy troops or weapons in areas where they could be seen as a threat to Russia. Heavy bombers and warships would not be allowed in areas outside their national airspace or waters from which they could launch an attack.

That would mean Nato not playing any role at all in any of the three Baltic republics or Poland. And Nato would have to abandon plans for Ukraine and Georgia to eventually join the Western alliance.

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Russia asks for the impossible
Analysis box by Steve Rosenberg, Moscow correspondent
Diplomacy is the art of the possible. Well it was… until now.

It's virtually impossible to imagine the US and Nato signing the draft documents Russian diplomats have drawn up, without considerable changes.

Russia demanding a veto on who joins the Alliance. A non-starter. Nato has said many times before that Moscow can have no say over who gets to be a member.

Plus the Russians want to turn the clock back to May 1997. Any country that joined the Nato alliance after that date won't be allowed Nato troops or weaponry. How would the Baltic states, which view Russia as a potential threat, feel about that?

Moscow knows very well it's demanding things the West won't deliver, so why ask?

A negotiating tactic, perhaps. Ask for the world and hope to secure other concessions.

Or it may be designed for domestic consumption: to convince the Russian public that growing tension between Russia and the West isn't Moscow's fault.

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Russia invaded Georgia during a brief war in 2008 and seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 before backing separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Conflict in the east began in April 2014 and has claimed more than 14,000 lives, with casualties still being reported.

Tension has been rising between Russia and Western countries, who fear Russia plans to invade its neighbour Ukraine.

Russia denies this, but says Nato must rule out Ukraine and others ever joining Nato to defuse the situation.

Moscow wants urgent talks with the US - but its proposals are being viewed as a non-starter in Washington.

Responding to Moscow's call for direct negotiations with the US, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters: "There will be no talks on European security without our European allies and partners."

Nato, which was originally set up to defend Europe against possible threats from the former Soviet Union, has forces in the Baltic republics and Poland.

What is the Nato defence alliance?
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia had given the US and Nato two draft treaties. There was no other option, he said, as the "state of relations between Russia and the collective West is a total lack of trust".

In the proposals Russia sets out a series of radical demands, which require countries that joined Nato after the fall of the Soviet Union not to deploy troops or weapons in areas where they could be seen as a threat to Russia. Heavy bombers and warships would not be allowed in areas outside their national airspace or waters from which they could launch an attack.

That would mean Nato not playing any role at all in any of the three Baltic republics or Poland. And Nato would have to abandon plans for Ukraine and Georgia to eventually join the Western alliance.

line
Russia asks for the impossible
Analysis box by Steve Rosenberg, Moscow correspondent
Diplomacy is the art of the possible. Well it was… until now.

It's virtually impossible to imagine the US and Nato signing the draft documents Russian diplomats have drawn up, without considerable changes.

Russia demanding a veto on who joins the Alliance. A non-starter. Nato has said many times before that Moscow can have no say over who gets to be a member.

Plus the Russians want to turn the clock back to May 1997. Any country that joined the Nato alliance after that date won't be allowed Nato troops or weaponry. How would the Baltic states, which view Russia as a potential threat, feel about that?

Moscow knows very well it's demanding things the West won't deliver, so why ask?

A negotiating tactic, perhaps. Ask for the world and hope to secure other concessions.

Or it may be designed for domestic consumption: to convince the Russian public that growing tension between Russia and the West isn't Moscow's fault.

line
Russia invaded Georgia during a brief war in 2008 and seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 before backing separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Conflict in the east began in April 2014 and has claimed more than 14,000 lives, with casualties still being reported.