Russia's response to NATO snubbing non-enlargement demand may vary - Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia's response to the United States refusing to guarantee NATO's non-expansion could be different, depending on the range of options offered to the Russian president by Russian military pundits.

This was reported by an Ukrinform correspondent with reference to the broadcast of Lavrov's final annual press conference.

"I can't add anything to what President Putin said… The response may vary – it depends on the proposals that our Russian military experts put forward to the Russian president. Full stop!" Lavrov said.

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He went on to criticize his Western counterparts, "Americans first and foremost, who are reading coffee grounds, and without waiting for developments, immediately grab their sanctions baton."

Multiple diplomatic efforts were taken this week to discuss European security issues and reduce tensions over Ukraine, provoked by Russia.

The first round of U.S.-Russia talks took place in Geneva on Monday. A meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna was held in Brussels on the same day. A Russia-NATO Council met in Brussels on January 12.

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On the evening of January 12, the situation on security issues in Europe and around Ukraine was discussed by EU defense ministers in an informal meeting in the French city of Brest, while on Thursday the discussion continued with the involvement of EU foreign ministers.

The current state of European security was also discussed at the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday.

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