“We want to do this in January, including to involve the negotiating platform to discuss the draft agreement between Russia and the NATO countries (on security guarantees),” Lavrov said in an interview with Russia Today, according to RIA Novosti.
Speaking Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that while the alliance is ready to engage in “meaningful dialogue” with Russia, it will continue to support Ukraine “politically and practically.”
Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried, the Biden administration’s top diplomat for Europe, said the United States and Europe were ready to act immediately if Russia increased aggression toward Ukraine in the coming days.
Donfried would not get into the specifics of the options that are being discussed, but said there is no sanctions option that is off the table.
He has blamed the current tensions in Europe on NATO’s expansion following the fall of the Soviet Union and said Russia has been forced to respond.
Donfried has also confirmed January as the timeline for upcoming talks.
“On the bilateral engagement, we will decide on a date together with Russia and we believe that that will take place in January,” Donfried told reporters Tuesday.