Nuclear crisis is unavoidable without arms control, says Russia

Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as the United States and its NATO allies expressed fear that Moscow planned to invade its ex-Soviet neighbour

Russia said on Thursday that a nuclear missile crisis between Moscow and Washington was unavoidable without measures to ensure restraint and predictability, the TASS news agency reported.

Vladimir Ermakov, a senior Russian foreign ministry official, said Moscow thought the United States was preparing to deploy short and intermediate range missiles to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, the report said.

The US rejection of Russia's main demands to resolve the crisis over Ukraine leaves little ground for optimism, the Kremlin spokesman said Thursday, while adding that dialogue was still possible.

Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as the United States and its NATO allies expressed fear that a buildup of about 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine signaled Moscow planned to invade its ex-Soviet neighbour.

Russia denies having any such designs — and has laid out a series of demands it says will improve security in Europe.

But as expected, the US and the Western alliance firmly rejected any concessions on Moscow's main points Wednesday, refusing to permanently ban Ukraine from joining NATO and saying allied deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe are nonnegotiable.

The US did outline areas in which some of Russia's concerns might be addressed, possibly offering a path to de-escalation.

“There is no change, there will be no change,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, repeating the warning that any Russian incursion into Ukraine would be met with massive consequences and severe economic costs.

All eyes are now on how Russia will respond amid fears that Europe could again be plunged into war. That decision that rests squarely with President Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the response from the US — and a similar one from NATO — leaves “little ground for optimism.” At the same time, he added that “there always are prospects for continuing a dialogue, it's in the interests of both us and the Americans.” 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that the US response contains some elements that could lead to “the start of a serious talk on secondary issues" but emphasised that “the document contains no positive response on the main issue,” the Russian demands for the non-expansion of NATO and the non-deployment of weapons that may threaten Russia.

Lavrov said that top officials will now submit their proposals to Putin, who has the American response, and Peskov said the Russian reaction would come soon.

The evasive official comments reflect the fact that it's Putin who single-handedly determines Russia's next moves. The Russian leader has warned that he would order unspecified “military-technical measures” if the West refuses to heed the Russian security demands.

Peskov added that Putin and US President Joe Biden will decide whether they need to have another conversation following two calls last month.

While the diplomacy sputters on, so, too, do maneuvers on both sides that have escalated tensions.

Russia has launched a series of military drills: Motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia practiced firing live ammunition, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea performed bombing runs, dozens of warships sailed for training exercises in the Black Sea and the Arctic, and Russian fighter jets and paratroopers arrived in Belarus for joint war games.

Meanwhile, NATO said it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region, and the US ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe.

China calls for calm from US

China has told the United States it wants to see all sides involved in Ukraine remain calm and avoid increasing tension while the United States stressed de-escalation and warned of the security and economic risks from Russian aggression.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke about Ukraine on a telephone call.

"We call on all parties to stay calm and refrain from doing things that agitate tensions and hype up the crisis," Wang told Blinken, China's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Secretary Blinken ... conveyed that de-escalation and diplomacy are the responsible way forward," Blinken was quoted as saying to Wang in a statement issued by the US state department.

Global security and the economic risks posed by further Russian aggression against Ukraine figured in the talks, the department said. (Reuters)