Tone of Ukraine crisis shifts as Russia signals openness to talk more

MOSCOW — The tone of the crisis over Ukraine shifted Monday as Russia’s top diplomat endorsed more talks to resolve its standoff with the West, and Ukrainian officials hinted at offering concessions to avert war — even as Russian warships massed off Ukraine’s Black Sea coast and Russian ground troops appeared poised to strike.

In stage-managed, televised meetings, the Kremlin sent its strongest signals yet that it would seek further negotiations with the West rather than launch immediate military action.

State television showed Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov telling President Vladimir Putin there was still a diplomatic path ahead.

Minutes later, it showed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu telling Putin that what he characterized as “large-scale drills” around Ukraine were coming to an end.

“I believe that our possibilities are far from exhausted,” Lavrov said, referring to Russia’s negotiations with the West. “I would propose continuing and intensifying them.”

Putin responded ambiguously: “Good.”

It was a sign that the Kremlin was still holding out the possibility it could use its troop buildup to achieve key objectives without military action.

The prospect for such a scenario was bolstered in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left open the possibility of dropping his country’s ambition to join the NATO alliance — a move that would help fulfill one of Putin’s key demands.

At a news conference, Zelenskyy emphasized NATO membership was “for our security,” with the goal of joining the alliance written into the country’s constitution.

But he acknowledged the difficult place the country found itself in, nearly completely encircled by Russian forces and with partners like the United States insisting they will not send troops into Ukraine to repel a Russian invasion.