Gorbachev Supporting Russian-US Discussions of Security Issues, Hopes for Outcome

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev is supporting the Russian-US discussions of security issues and hopes that as the result of the negotiations all European countries will feel safe.

According to the former USSR leader, the United States felt arrogant and too self-confident following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, declared itself a winner of the Cold War and decided to expand NATO.

"The Paris Charter, the ideas of collective security, the creation of a Security Council for Europe, which were seriously discussed in 1991, were consigned to oblivion. Nevertheless, I believe that it is not late to return to these ideas. I don't know whether this is happening now, after the talks between the presidents of Russia and the United States [Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden]; but some kind of process has begun. I support that, I hope there will be an outcome so that all European countries feel safe," Gorbachev told Sputnik.

On Friday, Moscow published draft agreements between Russia, the United States and NATO on security guarantees. The proposals, if agreed to, would ban NATO from expanding eastward and prohibit the United States and Russia from deploying intermediate and shorter-range missiles within striking distance of each other's territory, among other terms.

The Biden administration official said Russia's security proposals include items that the United States will never agree to but there are other areas the two countries may be able to explore about a possible agreement. However, at present, the United States will not respond in public to all of Russia's security proposals, which Moscow understands, the official added.