In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, the Russian navy's missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov sails off for an exercise in the Arctic. Russia has launched a series of drills amid the tensions over Ukraine and deployed an estimated 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian territory that fueled Western fears of an invasion. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, a Russian soldier attends a military exercising at the Golovenki training ground in the Moscow region, Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo provided by Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jet participating in NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission operate in Lithuanian airspace, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The NATO defence alliance on Monday said it was dispatching additional fighter jets and ships to Eastern Europe amid tensions with Russia. (Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense via AP)
In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, the Russian navy's missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov sails off for an exercise in the Arctic. Russia has launched a series of drills amid the tensions over Ukraine and deployed an estimated 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian territory that fueled Western fears of an invasion. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, the Russian navy's frigate Admiral Essen sails off for an exercise in the Black Sea. Russia has launched a series of drills amid the tensions over Ukraine and deployed an estimated 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian territory that fueled Western fears of an invasion. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo provided by Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jets participating in NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission operate in Lithuanian airspace, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The NATO defence alliance on Monday said it was dispatching additional fighter jets and ships to Eastern Europe amid tensions with Russia. (Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense via AP)
In this photo provided by Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, Polish Air Force F-16 fighter jets participating in NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission operate in Lithuanian airspace, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The NATO defence alliance on Monday said it was dispatching additional fighter jets and ships to Eastern Europe amid tensions with Russia. (Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense via AP)
In this photo provided by Vayar Military Agency on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, Belarusian military vehicles gather preparing to attend Belarusian and Russian joint military drills in Belarus. Russia has sent an unspecified number of troops from the country's far east to its ally Belarus, which shares a border with Ukraine, for major war games next month. (Vayar Military Agency Agency via AP)
In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, The Russian navy's missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov sails off for an exercise in the Arctic. Russia has launched a series of drills amid the tensions over Ukraine and deployed an estimated 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian territory that fueled Western fears of an invasion. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, The Russian navy's frigate Admiral Essen prepares to sail off for an exercise in the Black Sea. Russia has launched a series of drills amid the tensions over Ukraine and deployed an estimated 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian territory that fueled Western fears of an invasion. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this handout photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses the State Duma, the Lower House of the Russian Parliament in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. Lavrov said he and other top officials will advise President Vladimir Putin on the next steps after receiving written replies from the United States to the demands. Those answers are expected this week â€" even though the U.S. and its allies have already made clear they will reject the top Russian demands. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo provided by Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, Belgium Air Force F-16 fighter jet participating in NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission operate in Lithuanian airspace, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The NATO defence alliance on Monday said it was dispatching additional fighter jets and ships to Eastern Europe amid tensions with Russia. (Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense via AP)
In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, Senior Airman Zachary Kline, 436th Aerial Port Squadron cargo processor, palletizes ammunition, weapons and other equipment bound for Ukraine during a foreign military sales mission at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Jan. 21, 2022. Since 2014, the U.S. has committed more than $5.4 billion in total assistance to Ukraine, including security and non-security assistance.(Mauricio Campino/U.S. Air Force via AP)
In this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, the Russian navy's frigate Admiral Essen prepares to sail off for an exercise in the Black Sea. Russia has launched a series of drills amid the tensions over Ukraine and deployed an estimated 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian territory that fueled Western fears of an invasion. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, A Russian fires a mortar as he attends a military exercising at a training ground in Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
Wednesday, January 26, 2022 1:40 pm
Blinken: No concessions in response to Russia on Ukraine
VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and MATTHEW LEE | Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. has made no concessions to the main Russian demands about Ukraine and NATO in a written response delivered Wednesday.
Russia has demanded guarantees that NATO will never admit Ukraine and other ex-Soviet countries as members and that the alliance will roll back troop deployments in other former Soviet bloc countries. These are nonstarters for the U.S. and its allies.
Wednesday's answer to Russia makes very clear that the U.S. is standing by its principles, Blinken said.
"There is no change, there will be no change.”