ForMin Aurescu: There is a legitimate concern over Russian forces massing near Ukraine border

There is a legitimate concern on the part of the allied states, including Romania, regarding the massing of Russian forces in the vicinity of Ukraine, in the Black Sea region, a massing of troops that is substantial, unprovoked and unjustified, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, said on Monday, Agerpres reports.

Minister Aurescu held a joint press conference with Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi on Monday.

He said that "a number of conditions imposed by Russia tend to change the parameters of the European security architecture."

"We are open to dialogue, and this is the position that both I and my other NATO colleagues expressed on Friday at the special meeting of foreign ministers, because dialogue is part of NATO's dual approach with respect to Russia. It is an approach that combines, on the one hand, defence and deterrence and, on the other hand, dialogue. In what Romania is concerned (...), we support this dialogue, but at the same time we think that this dialogue must be based on a series of firm and credible deterrence measures," the head of the Romanian diplomacy pointed out.

Aurescu underscored that the dialogue with the Russian Federation "must take place without affecting the principles, values and commitments that represent the foundation of the Alliance, because there are a number of proposals of the Russian Federation that are certainly very difficult to accept, if not unacceptable for allies."

"The most important thing is for the dialogue to take place, for it to be presented with all the arguments of the parties, and the aim of this dialogue, which is taking place in several stages and on various components, must be to de-escalate the security situation. We need the situation to de-escalate, concretely, we need to see it in the field, we need to see a withdrawal of these Russian troops and equipment, and on the other hand we need to put an end the use of threat with using force. This is unacceptable from the point of view of international law," he pointed out.

He also noted that "openness to dialogue has always been present with the Russian Federation."

Minister Aurescu added that these days "we speak of a dialogue and not of a negotiation," a dialogue that could lead to "a clarification of positions."

Tense talks between Russians and Americans began on Monday morning in Geneva amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, while Russia claims a limitation of Western influence on its borders, reports AFP.

The meeting, which began at 8.55 local time (7.55 GMT) at the US headquarters in Geneva, is being held at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers, with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov to participate, said a spokesman for the US State Department.