In high-stakes meeting, Russia tells U.S. it isn't planning to invade Ukraine

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Top U.S. and Russian diplomats¹ said they had constructive² talks Monday in Geneva, but they did not achieve a breakthrough in their attempt to defuse tensions regarding the Russian troop buildup on the Ukraine-Russia border.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov emerged from the nearly eight hours of talks and declared, "There are no plans or intentions to attack Ukraine." He went on to say, "There is no reason to fear some kind of escalatory scenario³."

But the Russian troops remain in place, and Ukraine and its supporters describe them as a serious threat.

The head of the U.S. delegation⁴, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, said in a separate briefing that "0ne country cannot change the borders of another's by force."

She also stressed that if Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. would step up financial and trade sanctions and would increase military assistance to Ukraine.

Both sides presented proposals, and further talks could follow soon, said Sherman, who described Monday's meeting as a discussion, not a negotiation⁵.

The most urgent topic in a series of meetings this week is the roughly 100,000 troops whom Russia has placed near Ukraine. But Russia has raised other issues such as NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe over the past two decades.

Ryabkov reiterated⁶ Russia's demand that the former Soviet⁷ republics of Ukraine and Georgia never be allowed to join NATO, but he acknowledged there was no progress Monday on this issue.

"Ukraine and Georgia will never, ever become members of NATO," he said. "We are fed up with loose talk, half-promises or loose interpretation⁸ of what happened in negotiations⁹ behind closed doors. We do not trust the other side. We need ironclad, legally binding¹⁰ guarantees."

Sherman countered by saying that NATO "will not allow anyone to slam close NATO's open-door policy, which has always been central to the NATO alliance."

NATO said back in 2008 that Ukraine and Georgia could seek membership. But in practical terms, there's no prospect¹¹ either country will join the alliance in the near future.