Russia to take measures if West provides no response on guarantees of security — Lavrov

Lavrov

MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/: Russia will take necessary measures, should the West fail to provide a constructive response to Moscow’s initiatives on guarantees of security, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, speaking in the State Duma Wednesday.

"Should there be no constructive response, should the West continue its aggressive course, then, as [Russian President Vladimir Putin] said repeatedly, Moscow will take necessary response measures," the Minister said. "In any case, everyone must consider the security of Russia and its citizens an absolute priority, and it will be ensured under any circumstances."

On December 17 last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry published draft agreements on guarantees of security with the US and NATO, which imply NATO’s non-expansion eastward, rejection of Ukraine’s accession to the alliance, as well as restrictions on the deployment of serious offensive weapons, including nuclear ones.