US Deputy Secretary of State Sherman: We won’t allow anyone to slam closed NATO’s ‘Open Door’ policy

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has stated following her meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov that the US ‘will not allow anyone to slam closed NATO’s open door policy, which has always been central to the NATO Alliance.’ 

After a seven-hour meeting in Geneva amid tension at the Ukrainian border, Sherman stated that ‘we will not forego bilateral cooperation with sovereign states that wish to work with the United States.’  

“And we will not make decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine, about Europe without Europe, or about NATO without NATO. 

As we say to our allies and partners, ‘nothing about you without you,’ Sherman stated.She said that the United States is committed to ‘meaningful, reciprocal dialogue with Russia, just as we are committed to consulting and coordinating with our allies and partners.’ “We are ready to continue discussions on the bilateral issues we identified today as soon as practical, and we made that clear. 

We will have discussions with our allies and partners in the days ahead, and at the end of this week, informed by those discussions, the US and Russian Governments will discuss the way forward.”She said that the United States and Russia agree that a nuclear war ‘can never be won and must never be fought.’ “That is why the United States has long been interested in discussing with Russia options for arms control that include both strategic and so-called non-strategic nuclear weapons. 

We reiterated our interest in having deeper discussions on this topic during today’s meetings as well, “ Sherman said.She stated that the US has made  it clear that if Russia further invades Ukraine, ‘there will be significant costs and consequences well beyond what they faced in 2014.’