ahead of talks, Russia excludes any “concessions” and the United States warns of the risk of “confrontation”

The tension between Russia and the United States is still as strong as ever. Moscow ruled out, on Sunday January 9, any “concession” during talks with Washington in Geneva on Ukraine and security in Europe, further saying “disappointed” by the “signals” sent by the Americans. The latter also warned their interlocutors.

“There is a way of dialogue and diplomacy to try to resolve some of these differences and avoid confrontation”, Anthony Blinken, the chief of the American diplomacy, said on CNN. “The other path is one of confrontation and massive consequences for Russia if it renews its aggression on Ukraine.”

“We are about to see which path President Putin is prepared to take.”

Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State

on CNN

“We are going to listen to Russia’s concerns. They are going to have to listen to ours. If they proceed in good faith, we believe we can make progress in addressing concerns on both sides.”Anthony Blinken also said on Sunday. While warning that this progress would be difficult “in an atmosphere of climbing, with a gun to the temple of Ukraine.”

Representatives of the two countries will meet in Switzerland on Sunday evening before a crucial meeting the next day on Ukraine and security in Europe. Russia is accused by the West of having massed tens of thousands of soldiers on the border of Ukraine in anticipation of a possible invasion, which Moscow denies. The talks were held after Russia submitted demands for “to guarantee its security”.

At the top of its demands are a NATO commitment not to integrate Ukraine and the withdrawal of American soldiers from the most eastern countries of the Atlantic Alliance. Requests were qualified as“unacceptable” by several Western officials.

Last month US President Joe Biden threatened his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin with sanctions “as he has never seen” if Moscow attacked Ukraine.