NO PROGRESS SEEN AFTER RUSSIA-U.S. TALKS
The United States and Russia locked horns over Ukraine and other security issues Monday with no sign of progress from either side at highly anticipated strategic talks.
Low expectations from both Washington and Moscow about the high-stakes session in Geneva appeared to have been met as senior diplomats from the two countries emerged without offering any hint of success.
Neither side characterized the meeting as a failure, but neither did they offer any prospect of easing the standoff over Russia’s military buildup on its border with Ukraine that the West sees as a fundamental threat to European security. Nor was there any indication of movement on other, perhaps less-explosive matters that have vexed the U.S.Russia relationship.
Moscow insists on guarantees to halt NATO’s eastward expansion and even roll back the military alliance’s deployments in Eastern Europe, while Washington firmly rejects the demands as a nonstarter.
With both sides dug in and Ukraine’s future hanging in the balance, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said “no progress” was made on the central demand on NATO expansion, although he insisted: “We have no intention to invade Ukraine.”
Ryabkov spoke following talks with his U.S. counterpart, Wendy Sherman — part of diplomatic activity in Europe this week aimed at defusing the tensions.
Sherman, the deputy secretary of state, called the talks a “frank and forthright discussion“but would not, or could not, point to any progress.
Sherman said “we will not allow anyone” to shut NATO’s “open-door policy” that extends to countries seeking to join the alliance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described NATO expansion to Ukraine and other former Soviet states as a “red line” for Moscow, demanding binding guarantees from the West that they wouldn’t become members of the alliance.