Media: US proposes resuming NATO-Russia Council

The United States has proposed resuming the work of the NATO-Russia Council as part of efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine.

Bloomberg notes that Moscow continues to reject a US ceasefire proposal, which envisages freezing the war, US recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and the lifting of US sanctions.

However, the United States is said to have introduced a new idea to engage Russia.

"The US has since added new details to the proposal, including an offer to revive security talks under the NATO-Russia Council, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity," Bloomberg reported.

The NATO-Russia Council, established post-Cold War to foster bilateral security cooperation, effectively ceased operations after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Council's last meeting was held on 12 January 2022 in Brussels, where Russian demands for "security guarantees" were discussed and rejected by NATO member states.

Media reports previously indicated that NATO has paused discussions on re-evaluating its relationship with Russia while the US negotiates a settlement for the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the United States is reportedly opposed to inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a NATO summit, which will be held in The Hague on 24-25 June.