BRUSSELS, 22 December 2021, (TON): NATO invites the Russian Federation to hold a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council (RNC) in early 2022 to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a briefing in Brussels following a meeting with Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Chuke.

At the same time, he stressed that NATO will never compromise with Russia on the right of Ukraine “to choose its own path” and to claim membership in the alliance, as well as on the right of NATO states to defend the rest of the alliance.

Stoltenberg said “we are ready for dialogue with Russia. I intend to convene a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council ear-ly next year to sit down and discuss these serious issues.”

He said “NATO will never compromise with Russia on enlargement, the sovereign right of European countries, and this concerns Ukraine, to choose its own path, as well as the right of NATO states to defend the entire alliance.”

Stolten-berg said “the NATO countries have a common position and a common approach to Russia. It is based on deterrence and defense, as well as a willingness to defend each other, but we are also open to dialogue.”

He reiterated that NATO “considers dialogue especially important in such difficult times as now, when it is necessary to sit down and discuss reducing tensions.”