TASS, December 26. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg decided to convene a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) on 12 January. This was reported on Saturday by the agency. Anadolu citing a source in the alliance.

The interlocutor notes that NATO is in contact with Russia on this issue. Earlier, the NATO press service reported that on January 12-13, Brussels will host a meeting of the NATO Military Committee at the level of the chiefs of general staff of the alliance member states.

On Tuesday, the alliance secretary general said that NATO is proposing to hold a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in early 2022 to discuss the situation in Ukraine. At the same time, he is a member of the Council that NATO will never compromise with Russia the right of Ukraine “to choose its own path” and advise on joining the alliance, as well as on the NATO states to defend the countries of the alliance.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed on Friday that Moscow had received an offer from Brussels to convene a Russia-NATO Council to discuss the situation in Ukraine. According to her, this proposal is being considered in practical terms. At the same time, Zakharova recalled that the activities of the RNC were suspended due to “deliberate unfriendly actions in the Russian mission to NATO.” The Foreign Ministry spokesman also confirmed Russia’s readiness for a direct dialogue with NATO on the Russian draft agreements on the security guarantee of Russia, excluding the further expansion of the alliance to the east and the deployment of strike weapons systems in close proximity to Russian borders.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 17 published the draft security agreement with the United States. They were handed over to US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried on December 15. Russian President Vladimir Putin on his proposals on security guarantees. According to American partners, the Russian leader notes at the beginning of the year in Geneva. In addition, the NATO secretary general confirmed the receipt of Russian proposals for guaranteeing security in Europe and said that the alliance would analyze them.

The NATO-Russia Council was created in 2002 as a result of agreements brokered by the government headed by Silvio Berlusconi. Within the framework of the NRC system, Russia and all NATO member countries are accepted as equal partners, decisions are made by consensus. The last time a meeting in this format was held in July 2019.