NATO talks are likely ahead.
A spokesman for President Biden’s administration announced Monday that U.S. and Russian officials will hold security talks on January 10 to discuss concerns about their respective military activity and address rising tensions over Ukraine.
Russia and NATO are also likely to hold talks on January 12, with a broader meeting including Moscow, Washington and other European nations set for January 13.
Russia’s deputy foreign minister said he hoped the talks would launch a process that would give Moscow new security guarantees from the West. Those guarantees are a longstanding demand of Moscow, which has amassed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine.
The U.S. administration has said it will sanction Russia economically if it attacks Ukraine.
“When we sit down to talk, Russia can put its concerns on the table, and we will put our concerns on the table with Russia’s activities as well,” said the spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council, who declined to be identified. The spokesperson said no decisions would be made about Ukraine without Ukraine.
Also on Monday, President Biden signed into law a spending bill that, among other things, will provide $300 million for an initiative supporting Ukraine’s armed forces, and millions more for European defense broadly.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For diplomats in the State Department as they work to strengthen alliances with other nations.
- For administration representatives as they prepare for discussions betweent the U.S. and Russia about troops on the border with Ukraine.
- For wisdom for the president and his military advisors as they assess the capabilities of adversarial nations.
Sources: Reuters, Newsmax, CBS News
