International security

NATO, Russia Meeting Fails to Bridge Differences

The first meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in nearly two years ran over schedule Wednesday but failed to do much to improve relations between Moscow and the U.S.-led alliance, at their lowest ebb since the Cold War.

"NATO and Russia have profound and persistent differences," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who chaired the council, told reporters afterward. "Today's meeting didn't change that."

"It's better to talk than not to talk," said Russian Ambassador Alexander Grushko, who met with counterparts from NATO's 28 member states.

But Grushko said that for the Kremlin, "it's absolutely clear that without real steps on NATO's side to downgrade military activity in the area adjacent to the Russian Federation, it will not be possible to engage in any meaningful dialogue on confidence-building measures."

Stoltenberg said the meeting, which lasted 3 ½ hours, or 90 minutes longer than planned, was the occasion for "frank and serious" exchanges about the situation in Ukraine, issues relating to military activities of Russia and NATO, and the security situation in and around Afghanistan, including the threat of extremist violence region-wide.