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U.S.-Russia Talks End With No Signals on Putin’s Next Move

  • U.S. says Moscow must make choice on next steps with Ukraine
  • Russian diplomat says it’s ‘guarantor of peace’ in the region
The NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels on Jan. 12.

The NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels on Jan. 12.

Source: U.S. Department of State

Updated on

The U.S. said Russia must decide if it’s interested in resolving a standoff over Ukraine or is seeking a pretext to invade, as a second round of talks over the crisis concluded without a clear path forward.

“There was no commitment to deescalate,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters after a NATO meeting with Russia on Wednesday, using sharper language than she did after direct talks with Russia two days earlier. “Russia’s actions have caused this crisis and it is on Russia to deescalate tensions and give diplomacy the chance to succeed.”