Russia denies responding to US proposal on Ukraine crisis

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials have denied reports that Moscow sent Washington a written response to a U.S. proposal aimed at deescalating the Ukraine crisis. The Kremlin is seeking legally binding guarantees from the U.S. and NATO precluding the alliance from expanding eastwards and accepting Ukraine as a member amid fears that Russia might invade its neighbor. Washington has provided Moscow with a written response to the demands and on Monday three Biden administration officials said that the Russian government sent a written response to the U.S. proposals. But Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency on Tuesday that this was “not true.”