Russia, US hold working dinner to open Geneva talks

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FILE - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and caput of delegation Sergey Ryabkov attends a Treaty connected the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) league successful Beijing of the UN Security Council's 5 imperishable members (P5) China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, China, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Ryabkov outlined Moscow's demands for information guarantees excluding NATO's rank for Ukraine and different Russian neighbors and the deployments of weapons there. (Thomas Peter/Pool Photo via AP, File) (Thomas Peter)

GENEVA – Top Russian and U.S. officials held a moving meal successful Geneva connected Sunday arsenic portion of the kickoff to a drawstring of meetings successful 3 European cities this week, with bilateral ties astatine a debased ebb implicit Russia’s subject buildup adjacent Ukraine.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and different Russian officials arrived successful the evening for a gathering astatine the residence of the U.S. ambassador to the Conference connected Disarmament, diplomatic officials said. The luxury flat overlooks Lake Geneva. Ryabkov was gathering with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and her team.

Earlier Sunday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said connected authorities tv that a archetypal circular of “narrow-format” talks connected information would get underway during the day, according to Tass quality agency.

The little ceremonial Sunday talks travel up of a broader treatment betwixt the 2 diplomats and their teams astatine the U.S. ngo successful Geneva starting Monday, a archetypal measurement toward rekindling dialog arsenic ties person worsened due to the fact that Russia has deployed an estimated 100,000 troops on its borderline with Ukraine. Concerns person risen astir a broader Russian subject incursion successful the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's authorities has laid retired a database of demands, specified arsenic seeking guarantees that the NATO subject confederation won't question to grow immoderate further eastward to countries similar Ukraine oregon Georgia, which are erstwhile Soviet republics.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC's "This Week” connected Sunday helium didn't expect immoderate breakthroughs successful talks successful the bilateral talks successful Geneva oregon during conversations successful Brussels, astatine a gathering of the NATO-Russia Council, and astatine the Organization for Cooperation and Security successful Europe successful Vienna aboriginal this week.

The United States and different Western allies person pledged “severe costs” to Russia if it moves against Ukraine.

“The question truly present is whether President Putin volition instrumentality the way of diplomacy and dialog oregon seeks confrontation," Blinken said.

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