The Spanish newspaper El Pais obtained a copy of the written responses provided to Russia by both NATO and the U.S. The U.S. rejected Russia’s main security concerns regarding NATO expansion but offered significant negotiations on arms control issues. The responses can be read here.

Below is an excerpt from a summary report by Antiwar.com:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been concerned that US MK 41 missile launchers that are deployed in Romania can fit Tomahawk missiles that could potentially target Russia. In the written response, the US said that it was willing to discuss a “transparency mechanism to confirm the absence of Tomohawk cruise missiles” at US bases in Romania and Poland.

In exchange for the verification method, which would likely be in the form of on-site inspections, the US wants Russia to offer “reciprocal transparency measures on two ground-launched missile bases of our choosing in Russia.”

Russia is also seeking a mutual ban on the deployment of short and medium-range missiles in Europe that were previously prohibited under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which the US withdrew from in 2019. The US said it’s prepared to start talks on “arms control for ground-based intermediate and shorter-range missiles and their launchers.”

…Another major concern for Moscow is the potential deployment of US missiles and combat troops to Ukraine. The US said it’s “prepared to discuss conditions-based reciprocal transparency measures and reciprocal commitments by both the United States and Russia to refrain from deploying offensive ground-based missile systems and permanent forces with a combat mission on the territory of Ukraine.”

Read full article here.

Russia analyst Andrey Baklitskiy published a thread on Twitter yesterday breaking down the responses and how they will likely be viewed in Moscow. I have embedded a link to the thread below:

https://mobile.twitter.com/baklitskiy/status/1488898262937518091