With less than two weeks before U.S., Russian officials meet in Geneva, Russia's troop buildup near the Ukrainian border remains a sticking point.
between Presidents Biden and Vladimir Putin over the Russian troop buildup on the Ukraine border, both sides insist they are hopeful that a pathway to easing tensions could open during diplomatic talks set for January.
The Geneva talks, which are to be led on the U.S. side by senior State Department officials, are slated to be followed by Russia-NATO Council talks and a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. “The two weeks ahead are going to be tough,” said Daniel Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland who was a top advisor on Eastern Europe to Presidents Obama, George W. Bush and Clinton. “The Biden administration has done a pretty credible job of outlining, framing up the negotiations. But the toughest test is yet to come because Putin will continue to engage in threats and brinksmanship to see how determined we are.
“We will not allow our initiatives to be drowned in endless discussions,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the state RIA Novosti news agency. “If no constructive answer comes in a reasonable time and the West continues its aggressive course, Russia will have to take all necessary measures to maintain a strategic balance and remove unacceptable threats to our security.”The seemingly unrealistic rhetoric has made some in Washington question how effective talks can be.
“We believe the United States should, in closest consultation with its NATO allies and with Ukraine, take immediate steps to affect the Kremlin’s cost-benefit calculations before the Russian leadership opts for further military escalation,” the group wrote. “Such a response would include a package of major and painful sanctions that would be applied immediately if Russia assaults Ukraine.
“As for residents of Donbas, where hundreds of thousands of our citizens live, Russia will take all necessary measures to protect them,” he said. “An adequate response will be given to any possible military provocations by Kyiv against Donbas.”
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