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The US-Russia meeting on tensions in Ukraine has started in Geneva, Switzerland, but hopes for resolving the stalemate are slim.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the United States was committed to a “swift and tough response” if Russia decided to attack the neighboring country. Opposite him, in the famous Swiss city, is the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergey Lavrov.
The two chief diplomats acknowledged that today’s confrontation is just one step towards resolving the situation. More than 100,000 Russian troops have gathered near the Ukrainian border and there are reports that Moscow is sending more troops.
The fear of an invasion has long emerged and the US and its allies are striving for a united front in the hope of preventing it or coordinating a response if they fail to do so.
“We do not expect to settle our disputes here today. “I hope and expect that we can test whether the path of diplomacy or dialogue remains open,” Secretary Blinken told Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. “This is a critical moment,” he said. At the same time, Minister Lavrov also said that he “does not expect progress in these negotiations either.
“What we expect are concrete answers to our concrete proposals,” he said. Moscow has demanded concessions from NATO over the Western alliance’s relations with Ukraine, a former Soviet republic. The US and its allies have repeatedly warned of “serious” consequences, such as severe economic sanctions, though not military action against Russia, if the attack does take place.
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