Via Al Jazeera
US and Russian Diplomats are holding crucial talks in Geneva, to diffuse a potentially disastrous stand-off between Ukraine and Russia. Meanwhile, enormous train convoys loaded with tanks, missiles, and troops are traveling west to join the 100,000 Russian troops already positioned at the Ukraine-Russia border.
The situation is getting increasingly heated as Russia toughens its stance ahead of its talks with the US, seeking a guarantee from the west that NATO forces will leave Romania and Bulgaria on top of its already growing list of demands. Romania and Bulgaria only joined NATO in 2004 and were previously within the sphere of influence of the USSR; the demand underscores the extent to which the Russian government is seeking to recreate the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is looking for a peaceful resolution to the difficult situation. In the meantime, the two countries search for a diplomatic solution. The US continues to back Ukraine by threatening severe economic consequences, in the form of sanctions against Russia, if a military assault is launched.
Furthermore, NATO is also attempting to stop an invasion of Ukraine. The NATO secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, has invited Russia to attend a second meeting of the NATO-Russia council. The meeting is likely to entail detailed plans on confidence-building measures and arms control which is likely to reduce the aggression between NATO and Russia.