NATO to hold special meeting with Russia over simmering Ukraine crisis

The meeting will take place in Brussels on January 12 following security talks between US and Russian officials on January 10 in Geneva.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has scheduled a special meeting of allied ambassadors and top Russian officials for next week as both sides seek dialogue to prevent open conflict over Ukraine.

“Any dialogue with Russia would have to proceed on the basis of reciprocity, address NATO’s concerns about Russia’s actions … and take place in consultation with NATO’s European partners,” the NATO official said on Tuesday.

Maria Zakharova, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, confirmed that Russian officials will attend the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels.

Alarmed by Russia’s military build-up along Ukraine’s border, the Western military alliance has been seeking a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council for months but the forum seemed in jeopardy after an espionage dispute in October.

The meeting of the council, a format used for dialogue since 2002, will take place in Brussels on January 12 after US and Russian officials hold security talks on January 10 in Geneva.