Right of Reply to the Russian Federation on Ukraine
As delivered by Chargé d’Affaires Courtney Austrian
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
April 15, 2021
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I would like to start by saying that I appreciate the participation of our Russian colleague today and I for one welcome the opportunity for a dialogue. Referring to some of the things that our esteemed colleague brought up, I would like to say that NATO has acted in a responsible, transparent, measured, and open manner in the context of significant uncertainty in the region caused by Russian actions. I believe it’s Moscow that needs to meaningfully and immediately deescalate and do so in a transparent and verifiable way.
If Russia has concerns about NATO or U.S. forces in Europe, it should use the appropriate provisions of the Vienna Document to request additional information or transparency. I think we would be more than happy to answer any questions that my Russian colleague might have.
Thank you very much.
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