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Dialogue between Russia and the United States on the armed crisis in Ukraine
There are few expectations of diplomatic progress.
This meeting came amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, and with Moscow demanding political space from the United States and NATO.
Russia and the West open a diplomatic week, after Moscow accumulated many troops on the Ukrainian border, leading the United States and Europe to a confrontation reminiscent of the Cold War, Monday's meeting did not make much progress.
US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Riabkov had so far met by chance in Switzerland on Sunday night, and Riabkov later told the media that the meeting had been problematic.
RIA Novosti, the state news organization, quoted Riyabkov on Monday as saying he feared Washington would take Moscow's demand to end NATO's expansion eastward as a joke. "I have a somewhat skeptical outlook on that issue," he added.
Wendy Sherman announced on the social network Twitter that the negotiations were underway, but that there would be little progress as long as the others are not in the dialogue.
"The United States will listen to Russia's concerns and share ours, but we have been clear that we will not discuss European security without our allies," he added.
The new "Soviet Union"
In the Ukrainian trenches, where military forces are fighting Russian troops, there is little hope of achieving a diplomatic exit.
Ukrainian soldiers question whether any positive change will be made from these meetings. They consider that there are no guarantees that Putin will cease fire if NATO membership is reversed. "He wants to create Soviet Union 2.0," said 29-year-old soldier Mykhailo.
Establishing its points firmly, Washington stressed that there would be severe consequences should Russia invade Ukraine. On the other hand, Russia demanded that security agreements be enforced in the West.
After the meeting, a meeting of the NATO-Russia Committee will be held in Brussels on Wednesday, while on Thursday the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will meet in Vienna, which is trusted let the theme of Ukraine prevail.
Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, insisted on Sunday that Russia had two options, conflict or diplomacy, warning in statements to the CNN news network that there would be "critical consequences if they reiterate their aggression against Ukraine".
However, direct armed action by the United States or NATO is unlikely.
On the other hand, Western spokesmen warned Russia that, if there were an invasion, there would be great economic consequences in addition that there would be no impediment for NATO to continue advancing in presence and capabilities on the Russian borders.
Delicate consequences
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO chief, said on Monday that the alliance would warn Russia of the "great consequences" of an invasion and that he did not expect this week's dialogue to resolve the entire conflict, but hopes it will be the start of a process diplomatic.
Stoltenberg pointed out that it is a long way, I assure that there will be more meetings.
Actions on the table include sanctions on Putin's inner circle, postponing Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, or even severing Russia's ties with the World Banking System.
