U.S. rejects Russian demands on NATO, Ukraine | Ireland to Russia | Russian troops in Latin America

The US has rejected Russia's demand to bar Ukraine from NATO, amid Russia might invade its neighbor. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was giving Russia a formal response to its demands to resolve the Ukraine crisis. Mr. Blinken gave no concessions but said that he was offering Russia "a serious diplomatic path forward, should Russia choose it". Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said President Vladimir Putin would now assess Mr. Blinken's response. While the document - delivered by the US in coordination with the NATO military alliance - does not address Russia's "main concern" about the alliance's expansion, Mr. Lavrov said it "gives hope for the start of a serious conversation" on secondary questions. The president's spokesman Dmitry Peskov meanwhile told reporters Russia would not "rush into assessments", saying it would take "time to analyze" the response. Russia had issued a written list of its concerns about the expansion of NATO and related security issues. Among them was a demand for NATO to rule out the possibility of Ukraine and others ever joining the alliance. In recent weeks, Russia has been amassing large numbers of troops on the Ukraine border - something which Western countries have seen as preparation for a possible invasion. Russia denies this. Mr. Blinken said the US response made its "core principles" clear, including Ukraine's sovereignty and its right to choose to be part of security alliances such as NATO. "There should be no doubt about our seriousness of purpose when it comes to diplomacy, and we're acting with equal focus and force to bolster Ukraine's defenses and prepare a swift united response to further Russian aggression," he said. Ireland has told Russia its plans to host live naval exercises off the country's coast are "not welcome". But the Irish defense minister said the country had no power to stop it. It comes amid rising tensions over a build-up of Russia's military forces on the Ukraine border and consequences for any invasion from the US and its allies. Ireland, however, has a long-standing policy of military neutrality and is not part of the NATO military alliance. Simon Coveney, who holds both the foreign and defense ministerial briefs, told journalists in Brussels that the Irish government had received a notification from Russia about the planned military exercises. They are due to take place about 240km (150 miles) off the south-west coast of Ireland, he said. "That is in international waters but it is also part of the exclusive economic zone of Ireland," he explained. Norway’s prime minister, whose country borders Russia and is a founding member of NATO, said on Wednesday he believes it’s “a sign of weakness” that President Vladimir Putin has to express Moscow’s political views by an “extraordinary” military buildup. A top Russian official has refused to rule out military deployments to Cuba and Venezuela if tensions with the West over Ukraine continue to escalate. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that he could “neither confirm nor exclude” the possibility of Russia sending military assets to Latin America if the United States and its allies do not curtail their military activities on Russia’s doorstep. #ApniDunyaNetwork #AdnanRahi #Ukraine