GENEVA (AFP) – During tense talks on Monday, Russia told the US that it had no plans to invade Ukraine, and the two sides agreed to step up efforts to keep tensions from escalating into a full-fledged conflict.
After more than seven hours of talks in Geneva, Russian and US officials both offered to continue talking, despite the fact that there was no sign of a major breakthrough.
The high-stakes meeting took place amid fears of a Russian invasion of pro-Western Ukraine. Moscow has demanded broad concessions from Washington and its NATO allies, who have threatened severe sanctions in the event of an attack.
Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, said he had assured his US counterpart, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, that the fears were unfounded.
“We explained to our colleagues that we have no plans, no intentions of attacking Ukraine,” he said to reporters. “There is no reason to be concerned about an escalation in this regard.”
According to Ryabkov, the US “took Russian proposals very seriously” and Moscow was “for the continuation of dialogue.”
Sherman claimed that Russia provided no proof that it would not invade or an explanation for why it had deployed 100,000 troops to the Ukrainian border. That assessment was echoed by the Pentagon, where spokesman John Kirby stated that Moscow’s force posture had undergone “no major changes.”
Sherman, on the other hand, proposed reciprocal moves with Russia to de-escalate missile placements and exercises.