Kremlin: Not much optimism after Russia-US talks on Ukraine

MOSCOW — The Kremlin said Tuesday the information talks with the U.S. amid tensions implicit Ukraine person fixed small crushed for optimism, adding that Russia would hold for the result of different meetings this week earlier deciding whether it’s worthy to proceed negotiations.

The person of the U.S. delegation astatine Monday’s talks briefed allies successful Brussels astir the league and stressed the information situation was “caused by Russia” and its unit buildup adjacent Ukraine.

At the Geneva talks, Moscow insisted connected guarantees to halt NATO’s eastward enlargement and adjacent rotation backmost the subject alliance’s deployments successful Eastern Europe, portion Washington firmly rejected the demands arsenic a nonstarter.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that portion the talks were “open, broad and direct,” helium emphasized that it’s the effect that matters.

“So far, let’s accidental we spot nary important crushed for optimism,” helium said successful a league telephone with reporters.

The Geneva talks are being followed by a circular of Russia-NATO talks successful Brussels connected Wednesday and a gathering of the Organization for Security and Cooperation successful Europe successful Vienna connected Thursday.

“There are inactive respective rounds (of talks) up of us, which volition let america to enactment retired a clearer understanding, a clearer representation of wherever we basal with the Americans,” Peskov said, adding that those discussions would find whether it would marque consciousness to proceed the negotiations.

He noted that Russia isn’t mounting immoderate deadlines for the talks but wouldn’t judge dragging them out.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova besides emphasized that Moscow expects a speedy Washington’s reply to its demands.

The negotiations were held amid soaring tensions implicit a Russian unit buildup adjacent Ukraine’s borderline that has stoked fears of a imaginable invasion. Russia has denied it has plans to onslaught its neighbour but pressed for ineligible guarantees that NATO contradict rank to Ukraine and different erstwhile Soviet countries, arsenic good arsenic rotation backmost the alliance’s subject deployments successful Central and Eastern Europe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow would instrumentality unspecified “military-technical measures” if the U.S. and its allies neglect to conscionable the demands. Putin connected Tuesday held a video telephone with members of his Security Council, saying successful little introductory remarks that helium wanted to sermon unspecified issues related to information and infrastructure successful borderline areas.

The U.S. and its allies person roundly rejected the request for NATO not to admit Ukraine oregon immoderate different caller members, emphasizing that a cardinal confederation rule is that rank is unfastened to immoderate qualifying state and nary outsiders person veto power. At the aforesaid time, Washington and NATO accidental they are acceptable to sermon arms control, confidence-building measures, greater transparency and hazard simplification if Russia takes a constructive stance.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who led the U.S. delegation successful Geneva, said she briefed the North Atlantic Council connected the discussions.

“The United States is committed to moving successful lockstep with our Allies and partners to impulse de-escalation and respond to the information situation caused by Russia,” she tweeted.

The U.S. and its allies person warned Russia that it volition look unprecedented sanctions if it attacks Ukraine. European Council President Charles Michel reiterated that “we person intelligibly said that if determination was to beryllium a subject violative against Ukraine, determination would beryllium a monolithic absorption from the European Union successful coordination with our partners and allies.”

Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet called the Russian demands “completely unacceptable,” adding that helium expects the confederation members astatine Wednesday’s gathering to “be precise wide successful saying that ... NATO’s corporate defence continues to beryllium a worth that is being defended by its members.”

Sherman’s Russian counterpart Sergei Ryabkov warned aft Monday’s league that it would beryllium hard to marque immoderate advancement connected different issues if the U.S. and its allies stonewall Moscow’s request for guarantees precluding NATO’s expansion.

Ryabkov firmly rejected Washington’s request for a pullback of Russian troops from the areas adjacent to Ukraine, saying that Moscow has the close to deploy them wherever it considers necessary. The U.S. has estimated that Russia has amassed an estimated 100,000 troops adjacent Ukraine.

Amid the tensions, the Russian subject said Tuesday that 3,000 troops and 300 armored vehicles were taking portion successful drills astatine firing ranges successful the Voronezh, Belgorod, Bryansk and Smolensk regions adjacent Ukraine.

In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula aft the ouster of its Moscow-friendly person and threw its value down a separatist insurgency successful the country’s east, wherever much than 7 years of warring has killed implicit 14,000 people.

A 2015 bid woody brokered by France and Germany has helped extremity large-scale battles, but predominant skirmishes person continued and efforts to negociate a governmental colony person failed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Tuesday with French and German officials who visited Kyiv aft talks successful Moscow the erstwhile week to sermon prospects for different four-way gathering of the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany connected the conflict.

“It’s clip to person substantive talks connected ending the conflict, and we are acceptable to marque the indispensable decisions during a caller acme of the 4 countries’ leaders,” Zelenskyy said.

French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that the four-way talks stay applicable and praised the Geneva negotiations, saying “it’s a precise bully happening that the U.S. and Russia talk to each other.”

Yuras Karmanau successful Kyiv, Ukraine, Sylvie Corbet successful Paris and Jari Tanner successful Tallinn, Estonia, contributed.