MOSCOW: Russia will respond “in the nearest future” to counterproposals on European security made by the United States and NATO, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told his British counterpart, Ben Wallace, at a meeting in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported.

Moscow has demanded that Washington and Brussels guarantee NATO will never let Ukraine join the bloc. They have refused to do so, but sent their own proposals to Russia.

Shoigu urged the West to stop supplying arms to Ukraine and said Russia was not the one to blame for the rising tensions in Europe. He also said he wanted to know why London was sending special forces to Ukraine.

Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine but denies that it plans to invade its neighbour.