World News | Thu Sep 1, 2016 9:02am EDT
U.S. skeptical about German call for new arms pact with Russia
By Andreas Rinke | BERLIN
The United States said on Thursday it was skeptical about Germany's call for a new arms control deal with Russia to avoid an escalation of tensions in Europe, given Moscow's violation of a series of other agreements.
Daniel Baer, the U.S. envoy to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), told Reuters that Washington favors continued dialogue with Russia to enhance transparency, but is wary of entering into any new agreements at this point.
"Our focus will remain on the existing agreements and trying to get them to function they way they ought to be functioning, and continuing to engage on the serious concerns about the issues at hand," Baer said in an interview with Reuters in Berlin ahead of an OSCE meeting in nearby Potsdam.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-russia-usa-interview-idUSKCN1174VJ
