US and Russia try to lower temperature in Ukraine crisis

on the brink of a possible invasion. New satellite images show Russian troops and armor massed Less than 10 miles from Ukraine's border. President joe biden expecting an attack I guess is he will move in. He has to do something on what to do about Putin's anticipated move, biden appearing less sure how the U. S. And allies would respond. It depends on what it does. It's one thing if it's a minor incursion and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do etcetera. At NATO, biden's comments causing concern, one diplomat telling CNN there's some truth there which didn't need to be said out loud a day later, biden clarifying his press conference comments if any any assembled Russian units move across Ukrainian border that is an invasion. But when we met with severe and coordinated economic response but not before Ukraine's president tweeted his frustration. There are no minor incursions, no minor casualties. His foreign minister doubling down. One can't be half invaded or half aggressive aggression is either there or not hotfoot from talks with both the president and Foreign Minister of Ukraine the day prior U. S. Secretary of state antony Blinken in Berlin meeting german french and british foreign ministry officials trying to steady the slightly shaken diplomatic messaging and point up the cost of diplomatic failure and at its core, it's about Russia's rejection of a post Cold War europe that is whole free and at peace at stake again. Our principles that have made the world safer and more stable for decades in Moscow where officials repeatedly insist they're not about to attack anyone Biden's invasion comments, not for the first time triggering a rebuff. We are convinced that the purpose of this campaign is to create an information cover for the preparation of their own large scale provocations, including military ones. President Putin's spokesman, offering a more diplomatic interpretation, saying it signals a certain willingness to discuss some issues, saying also that President Putin ready for another conversation with President Biden. Just one caveat, though, the United States must give a written response to Russia's security demands, something the U. S. Has so far refused to do Nic Robertson CNN Moscow.

The United States and Russia sought to lower the temperature Friday in a heated standoff over Ukraine, even as they said no breakthrough was imminent in the crisis that has raised fears of a possible Russian invasion.Armed with seemingly intractable and diametrically opposed demands, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Geneva at what the American said was a “critical moment.”With an estimated 100,000 Russian troops massed near Ukraine, many fear Moscow is preparing an invasion although Russia denies that. The U.S. and its allies are scrambling to present a united front to prevent that or coordinate a tough response if they can’t.“We didn’t expect any major breakthroughs to happen today, but I believe we are now on a clearer path to understanding each other’s positions,” Blinken told reporters after the meeting.Blinken said Lavrov repeated Russia's insistence that it has no plans to invade Ukraine but stressed that the U.S. and its allies were not convinced of that.“We’re looking at what is visible to all, and it is deeds and actions and not words that make all the difference,” he said.Lavrov, meanwhile, called the talks “constructive and useful” and said that the U.S. agreed to provide written responses to Russian demands on Ukraine and NATO next week. That could at least delay any imminent aggression for a few days.But Lavrov declined to characterize that pledge.“I can’t say whether we are on the right track or not," he told reporters. "We will understand that when we receive the U.S. written response to all of our proposals.”Moscow has demanded that the NATO alliance promise that Ukraine — a former Soviet republic — will never be allowed to join. It also wants the allies to remove troops and military equipment from parts of eastern Europe.The U.S. and its NATO allies have flatly rejected those demands and say that Russian President Vladimir Putin knows they are nonstarters. They have said they're open to less dramatic moves.Blinken said the U.S. would be open to a meeting between Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden, if it would be “useful and productive.”Washington and its allies have repeatedly promised “severe” consequences such as biting economic sanctions — though not military action — against Russia if an invasion goes ahead.Blinken repeated that warning Friday before the talks. He said the U.S. and its allies were committed to diplomacy, but also committed "if that proves impossible, and Russia decides to pursue aggression against Ukraine, to a united, swift and severe response."But he said he also wanted to use the opportunity to share directly with Lavrov some “concrete ideas to address some of the concerns that you have raised, as well as the deep concerns that many of us have about Russia’s actions.”Ukraine is already beset by conflict. Russia's Putin seized control of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and backed a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, part of a simmering but largely stalemated conflict with Ukrainian forces that has taken more than 14,000 lives. Putin faced limited international consequences for those moves, but the West says a new invasion would be different.Ahead of his meeting with Lavrov, Blinken met Ukraine’s president in Kyiv and top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany in Berlin this week.Adding to its repeated verbal warnings to Russia, the United States stepped up sanctions on Thursday. The U.S. Treasury Department slapped new measures on four Ukrainian officials. Blinken said the four were at the center of a Kremlin effort begun in 2020 to damage Ukraine’s ability to “independently function.”The Russian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its demands Friday that NATO not expand into Ukraine, that no alliance weapons be deployed near Russian borders and that alliance forces pull back from Central and Eastern Europe.The State Department, meanwhile, put out three statements – two on Russian “disinformation,” including specifically on Ukraine, and another entitled “Taking Action to Expose and Disrupt Russia’s Destabilization Campaign in Ukraine.” The documents accused Russia and Putin of trying to reconstitute the former Soviet Union through intimidation and force.The Russian Foreign Ministry mocked those statements, saying they must have been prepared by an Orwellian “Ministry of Truth,” and Lavrov caustically dismissed them.“I do hope that not everyone in the State Department was working on those materials and there were some who were working on the essence of our proposals and their substance," he said.The Russian Foreign Ministry also rejected Western claims that Moscow was trying to rebuild the Soviet empire and carve out its zone of influence in eastern Europe, charging that it’s the West that thinks in categories of zones of influence.Blinken has taken pains to stress U.S. unity with its allies in opposition to a possible Russian invasion, something that took an apparent hit earlier this week when Biden drew widespread criticism for saying retaliation for Russian aggression in Ukraine would depend on the details and that a “minor incursion” could prompt discord among Western allies.On Thursday, Biden sought to clarify his comments by cautioning that any Russian troop movements across Ukraine’s border would constitute an invasion and that Moscow would “pay a heavy price” for such an action.“I’ve been absolutely clear with President Putin,” Biden said. “He has no misunderstanding: Any, any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border, that is an invasion.”Russia has denied it is planning an invasion and instead accused the West on Thursday of plotting “provocations” in Ukraine, citing the delivery of weapons to the country by British military transport planes in recent days.___Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed.

GENEVA —

Armed with seemingly intractable and diametrically opposed demands, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Geneva at what the American said was a “critical moment.”

With an estimated 100,000 Russian troops massed near Ukraine, many fear Moscow is preparing an invasion although Russia denies that. The U.S. and its allies are scrambling to present a united front to prevent that or coordinate a tough response if they can’t.

“We didn’t expect any major breakthroughs to happen today, but I believe we are now on a clearer path to understanding each other’s positions,” Blinken told reporters after the meeting.

Blinken said Lavrov repeated Russia's insistence that it has no plans to invade Ukraine but stressed that the U.S. and its allies were not convinced of that.

“We’re looking at what is visible to all, and it is deeds and actions and not words that make all the difference,” he said.

Lavrov, meanwhile, called the talks “constructive and useful” and said that the U.S. agreed to provide written responses to Russian demands on Ukraine and NATO next week. That could at least delay any imminent aggression for a few days.

But Lavrov declined to characterize that pledge.

“I can’t say whether we are on the right track or not," he told reporters. "We will understand that when we receive the U.S. written response to all of our proposals.”

Moscow has demanded that the NATO alliance promise that Ukraine — a former Soviet republic — will never be allowed to join. It also wants the allies to remove troops and military equipment from parts of eastern Europe.

The U.S. and its NATO allies have flatly rejected those demands and say that Russian President Vladimir Putin knows they are nonstarters. They have said they're open to less dramatic moves.

Blinken said the U.S. would be open to a meeting between Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden, if it would be “useful and productive.”

Washington and its allies have repeatedly promised “severe” consequences such as biting economic sanctions — though not military action — against Russia if an invasion goes ahead.

Blinken repeated that warning Friday before the talks. He said the U.S. and its allies were committed to diplomacy, but also committed "if that proves impossible, and Russia decides to pursue aggression against Ukraine, to a united, swift and severe response."

But he said he also wanted to use the opportunity to share directly with Lavrov some “concrete ideas to address some of the concerns that you have raised, as well as the deep concerns that many of us have about Russia’s actions.”

Ukraine is already beset by conflict. Russia's Putin seized control of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and backed a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, part of a simmering but largely stalemated conflict with Ukrainian forces that has taken more than 14,000 lives. Putin faced limited international consequences for those moves, but the West says a new invasion would be different.

Ahead of his meeting with Lavrov, Blinken met Ukraine’s president in Kyiv and top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany in Berlin this week.

Adding to its repeated verbal warnings to Russia, the United States stepped up sanctions on Thursday. The U.S. Treasury Department slapped new measures on four Ukrainian officials. Blinken said the four were at the center of a Kremlin effort begun in 2020 to damage Ukraine’s ability to “independently function.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its demands Friday that NATO not expand into Ukraine, that no alliance weapons be deployed near Russian borders and that alliance forces pull back from Central and Eastern Europe.

The State Department, meanwhile, put out three statements – two on Russian “disinformation,” including specifically on Ukraine, and another entitled “Taking Action to Expose and Disrupt Russia’s Destabilization Campaign in Ukraine.” The documents accused Russia and Putin of trying to reconstitute the former Soviet Union through intimidation and force.

The Russian Foreign Ministry mocked those statements, saying they must have been prepared by an Orwellian “Ministry of Truth,” and Lavrov caustically dismissed them.

“I do hope that not everyone in the State Department was working on those materials and there were some who were working on the essence of our proposals and their substance," he said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also rejected Western claims that Moscow was trying to rebuild the Soviet empire and carve out its zone of influence in eastern Europe, charging that it’s the West that thinks in categories of zones of influence.

Blinken has taken pains to stress U.S. unity with its allies in opposition to a possible Russian invasion, something that took an apparent hit earlier this week when Biden drew widespread criticism for saying retaliation for Russian aggression in Ukraine would depend on the details and that a “minor incursion” could prompt discord among Western allies.

On Thursday, Biden sought to clarify his comments by cautioning that any Russian troop movements across Ukraine’s border would constitute an invasion and that Moscow would “pay a heavy price” for such an action.

“I’ve been absolutely clear with President Putin,” Biden said. “He has no misunderstanding: Any, any assembled Russian units move across the Ukrainian border, that is an invasion.”

Russia has denied it is planning an invasion and instead accused the West on Thursday of plotting “provocations” in Ukraine, citing the delivery of weapons to the country by British military transport planes in recent days.

___

Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed.

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