US, Russian officials meet in Geneva as tensions escalate in Ukraine | Conflict Issues

Washington wants to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while the Kremlin looks at security concerns.

Officials in Russia and the United States are working security negotiations in Geneva, to launch a European political week to resolve conflicts in Ukraine.

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and his envoys arrived with police at the US embassy in Switzerland to hold Monday’s face-to-face talks with Wendy Sherman, the US deputy secretary of state, and his delegation.

The meeting, which began shortly before 08:00 GMT, appears to be the first phase of a renewed dialogue between Moscow and Washington, with the two. connection at low altitude on the growth of Russian troops near Ukraine.

But ambassadors on both sides of the controversy expressed optimism.

Ryabkov said by the end of the week it was possible that negotiations could end after one meeting, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suspended what he expected to happen.

Build an army

Washington says Russia has sent about 100,000 troops close to the border with Ukraine in recent months, eight years after capturing the Crimean island from its neighbor and soon supporting isolated militants in the east of the country.

Military activity has sparked fears in Kyiv with US President Joe Biden at the White House over another Russian offensive.

The US and its Western Ukrainian allies, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, have pledged to do so severe penalties in Russia – expected to take the form of severe sanctions – if they cause frustration.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied the need to invade Ukraine and has accused NATO of undermining security in the region.

Last month, Moscow unveiled a list of demands for security requirements conflict resolution.

Many are seen as a threat to the West, especially with NATO’s promise to end military operations in Eastern Europe and Ukraine.

‘Negotiations can end separately’

Jonah Hull of Al Jazeera, based in London, said US negotiators were “beginning to test Russia’s real intentions” in Monday’s talks, which are part of the Strategic Security Dialogue negotiated by Biden and Putin at the June 2021 summit in Geneva.

“There are not many people who are looking for anything like a pact to come out of this discussion today,” he said.

“It looks like a start, even a last resort, and the best hope is that they will be able to exchange their concerns right now and look for a solution.”

Monday’s talks will be followed by Russia-NATO talks in Brussels on Wednesday and a Vienna meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe on Thursday.