Nato and Russia ran up against "profound disagreements" over Ukraine and other issues as their ambassadors met on Wednesday for the first time since 2014, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said. The two sides agreed to keep communicating following the meeting of the Nato-Russia Council, which has been on ice since the alliance cut practical ties with Moscow to protest the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in early 2014.
"I think we had a very frank, serious and actually good meeting," Stoltenberg told a news conference after the talks, adding that both sides had "listened to what each other has to say." But former Norwegian prime minister Stoltenberg stressed that "Nato and Russia have profound and persistent disagreements". He admitted they were far from any breakthrough on easing tensions over the simmering violence still gripping eastern Ukraine.
"There were profound disagreements related to the crisis with Ukraine," he said. "During the meeting it was reconfirmed we disagree on the facts, the narrative and the responsibilities for the crisis in and around Ukraine." Relations have also worsened in recent months over Moscow's air campaign in Syria and tensions have flared in the past week after two incidents involving the US military and Russian planes in the Baltic Sea.
Russia's ambassador to Nato, Alexander Grushko, insisted after the meeting with the 28 Nato ambassadors that it was the US-led alliance that was to blame for increasing military activities on Russia's flank. "For us it is absolutely clear that without real steps on Nato's side to downgrade the military activity in areas adjacent to the Russian Federation, it will not be possible to engage in any meaningful dialogue on confidence building measures," he told reporters.