A week-long diplomatic effort between the West and Russia to defuse tensions on the Ukrainian border has ended without success. A senior United States (US) official also issued a warning to prepare for an escalation.
"The drums of war are getting louder and the rhetoric is getting a little shrill," US diplomatic official Michael Carpenter said of the dialogue with Moscow that resulted in no breakthrough.
Moscow's intentions remained unclear, he said, after talks in Europe were over. "There are nearly 100,000 troops on the Russian side of the border with Ukraine. Their presence and the live-fire actions that are being carried out raise many questions about Moscow's intentions," he said as quoted by CNBC, Friday (1/14/2022).
He added that the US had seen advanced weaponry, artillery systems, electronic warfare systems and ammunition deployed along the Ukrainian border. "That raises a lot of questions about what Russia's intentions are. So we have to take this very seriously and we have to be prepared for a possible escalation," said Carpenter, who acts as permanent US representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Meanwhile national security adviser Jake Sullivan said American intelligence agencies said Russia had prepared a pretext for an invasion - including through sabotage activities and information operations - accusing Ukraine of preparing an imminent attack on Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
"We saw these guidelines in 2014, and they are preparing these guidelines again," Sullivan told reporters at the White House. "The United States is ready at any cost," he added.
US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman held talks with her Russian counterpart earlier this week in Geneva. Sherman said that in his discussions with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, which lasted nearly eight hours, he conveyed the severe economic consequences the Biden administration was prepared to take on Moscow.
"We are very much ready and aligned with our partners and allies to bear those heavy costs," Sherman told reporters on a conference call after his meeting with Ryabkov on Monday.
"The sanctions will include major financial institutions, export controls targeting key industries, increased NATO troop posture in allied territory, and increased security assistance to Ukraine," Sherman said, adding that the Biden administration was coordinating measures with NATO allies, the Council of Europe and the United States. G7 members.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said significant differences between NATO and Moscow remain.
"NATO is ready to engage in dialogue with Russia, but we will not compromise on core principles. We will not compromise on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of any country in Europe," the alliance head said after four hours of talks with Russian officials.
Since 2002, Ukraine has been seeking entry into NATO, where the group's Article 5 clause states that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all of them. Putin described NATO's eastward expansion as a "red line" that poses a security threat to Moscow.
Russian officials reiterated in a separate press conference this week that it is imperative to ensure that Ukraine is never, never will be a member of NATO. “We need guarantees that are strong, waterproof, bulletproof and legally binding. Not guarantees, not security, but guarantees," added Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
When asked about Russia's request to deny NATO membership in Ukraine, Sherman said the alliance was unwilling to negotiate on the topic. "Russia is a large country with a large land area. They are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. They have the largest national military in Europe. Together with the United States, we are the two largest nuclear powers in the world. They are a powerful nation, Sherman explained to reporters from NATO headquarters.
"The fact that they feel threatened by Ukraine, a smaller and still developing democracy is difficult to understand frankly," he added.
Last month, President Joe Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin twice amid a significant military build-up on the Ukrainian border. During the first phone call on December 7, Biden refused to accept Putin's "red line" in Ukraine. And during the leaders' final call, on December 30, Biden repeated new concerns and threats that his administration would "respond decisively" with allies and partners if Russia invaded Ukraine further.
For months, Kiev has been warning its US and European allies that tens of thousands of Russian troops were gathering along its eastern border. The buildup has evoked nuances of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, which sparked an international uproar and sparked a series of sanctions against Moscow. But the Kremlin denies that it is preparing for an invasion.
