🧵President Biden’s statement yesterday about his video meeting with #Putin👇 seemed like a departure from the past weeks of Alliance-focused diplomacy and created very real concerns on #NATO eastern flank. There is number of questions that should be clarified by the U.S. admin: 
President Biden spoke of a meeting on Friday that would “discuss the future of Russia’s concerns relative to NATO writ large and whether or not we can work out any accommodations”. • What accommodations could be worked out with Russia that threatens Ukraine with armed invasion?
• Are there Russia’s “concerns relative to #NATO” that the U.S. finds legitimate?
• Which “major NATO Allies” will be invited to the meeting with Russia? President spoke of “at least four” - will any of the major eastern flank states be invited? These nations are not only stakeholders, but also security providers on NATO’s borders.
• What is the role of NATO in these talks with Russia? If the conversation will be about “Russia’s concerns relative to NATO writ large”, as President Biden said, shouldn’t the Alliance be involved as a whole?
President Biden spoke about clear message to Putin of severe consequences and the need to reinforce eastern Allies. This was consistent with U.S. diplomacy over past weeks. But unfortunately stood in contrast to his later words of accommodations and Russia’s concerns about #NATO.
President Biden’s full statement can be seen here 📺
And read in full here 👇 whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/…
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