Russia declared on Monday, at the end of talks this Monday in Geneva with the United States, to have “no intention of attacking Ukraine”.
“We explained to colleagues that we have no plans, no intention to attack Ukraine,” said Sergei Riabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister, assuring that there was no reason “To fear an escalation of the situation on this level”.
He affirms that “the situation is not hopeless”, whereas for several days, the tensions between Russia and the Western countries do not cease increasing concerning Ukraine, and more precisely concerning the deployment of thousands of Russian soldiers. on the border with Ukraine.
The Russian negotiator even affirmed that “the American side took the Russian proposals very seriously” during these talks, which he qualified as “difficult, long, professional”. But if these statements seem to testify to an appeasement, he nonetheless declared that one should not “underestimate the risks linked to a worsening of the evolution of the confrontation”, calling on the United States to make a gesture towards Russia.
For her part, the American negotiator Wendy Sherman proposed to her Russian counterpart to continue these talks soon. Discussions which could not however be held without Kiev and without the Europeans, according to her. She also reiterated the categorical refusal of the United States to suppress NATO’s “open door” policy, despite requests from Moscow, which fears Ukraine will join the organization.
She also recalled, despite Sergei Riabkov’s speech, that any invasion of Ukraine will have serious consequences. Washington therefore called for “de-escalation” and “reciprocal” gestures.
