EU must take part in talks on security guarantees: Borrell

BRUSSELS – The European Union must take part in discussions between the US, Russia and NATO on possible security guarantees, the bloc’s top diplomat said Sunday.

In a blog post on Russia, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said diplomacy works best if done in partnership with other like-minded partners.

Noting that they have been in constant and close contact with other like-minded partners such as the US and G7 countries, Borrell said that “many EU leaders underlined the need to continue this coordination and support diplomatic efforts.”

“I also stressed that the EU must of course be at the table of any discussions on the European security architecture.”

Reminding that Russia's Foreign Ministry released a draft proposal Friday on security guarantees between Russia and the US as well as to European members of NATO, Borrell said “it is clear that the EU must be an integral part of such discussions.”

He also pointed out that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) “in particular offers mechanisms and rules which remain cornerstones of any engagement with Russia."

In its proposal on security guarantees presented to the US and NATO, Moscow sought pledges from Washington and its allies that NATO would abandon its eastward expansion as well as the admission of former Soviet countries into the organization.

Russia also demanded that the US not establish military bases in countries of the former Soviet Union and non-NATO countries as well as not cooperate with these countries.

Russia has been at the top of the US and EU's foreign relations agenda in recent weeks due to its military fortifications on the Ukrainian border as well as Belarus, where the EU faces a migration problem as well as energy issues.

Moscow became the main agenda item at the leaders' level at the G7, NATO, OSCE and EU foreign ministers meetings held in November and December as well as at the EU-East Partnership Summit and EU Council meetings.

NATO and the EU have warned Russia that if it shows an aggressive attitude towards Ukraine, it will face a serious response and heavy sanctions.