Sunday 27 / October / 2024
The NATO-Russia Council (NRC) convened on Wednesday in Brussels for the first time since July 2019.
The talks came during a series of high-profile meetings between Russian and Western officials as tensions rise over Russia's troop buildup on its border with Ukraine.
"It is a timely opportunity for dialogue at a critical moment for European security. When tensions are high, it is even more important that we sit down around the same table and address our concerns," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said as envoys sat down.
What did Russia say?
As senior Russian envoys sat down with Stoltenberg, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow that Russia was not making ultimatums.
"We are not negotiating from a position of strength, there is not and nor can there be any place for ultimatums here," Peskov said.
"The situation has simply reached such a critical point in terms of pan-European security and the national interests of our country [...] that we cannot delay further and the concerns we have voiced need concrete answers."
Why did NATO and Russian officials meet?
The NRC forum for talks was set up two decades ago. However, meetings paused when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and have only taken place sporadically since.
In recent months, NATO allies have raised concerns that Russia could be preparing to invade Ukrainian territory — akin to the 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
On the other hand, Moscow has been seeking assurances that NATO would not expand further east. Russia has also been pushing to prevent Ukraine from ever joining the alliance.
Ahead of Wednesday's meeting, NATO held talks with Ukraine, and Moscow held talks with Washington.
Russia is also due to hold talks with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Thursday.
Alexandra von Nahmen, DW's Brussels bureau chief, said there were no expectations in Brussels for a breakthrough or solution to the crisis out of Wednesday's talks.
"However, the fact that all 30 NATO states are coming together with Russia is very significant, because the NATO-Russia council body — created to have such kind of dialogue — has been dead for almost two and a half years," she said.
What is the situation at the Ukrainian border?
Russia is accused of massing 100,000 combat-ready troops just across Ukraine's eastern border.
Ukraine has been fighting a pro-Moscow insurgency in two breakaway regions since the Russian annexation of Crimea.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian army said that one of its soldiers had been killed in fighting with separatists on the eve of the NATO-Russia talks.
Since 2014, the conflict has killed more than 13,000 people, according to the Ukrainian government.
