WASHINGTON, Jan 8 – The United States and its allies are ready to negotiate with Russia in negotiations with Ukraine on the possibility of each party imposing restrictions on military exercises and sending missiles into the region, a senior US administration official said on Saturday.
As key talks begin on Monday in Geneva, Biden’s chief executive officer said the United States was not prepared to discuss US military restrictions or the status of American troops in NATO countries in the region.
President Joe Biden has warned Russia that it will face serious economic consequences if Russian President Vladimir Putin launches an attack on Ukraine. U.S. officials on Saturday provided further details on the severe sanctions that could be imposed.
One limitation, as described by a source familiar with the program, could guide important Russian industrial sectors, including defense and public aviation, and would further affect Russia’s ambitions for high technology, such as artificial intelligence or quantum computing, or consumer electronics.
The Geneva talks, which will be followed at other times next week in Brussels and Vienna, are aimed at curbing the problem. Putin has mobilized tens of thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border, sparking fears of an attack.
It is not yet clear whether the United States and its European counterparts can make progress in negotiations with Moscow. Putin wants an end to NATO’s expansion into the east and security assurances, demands the United States say are unacceptable.
But a senior U.S. official, speaking to reporters ahead of the talks, said some areas offered opportunities for consensus.
“Any negotiations for those overcrowded areas where we may be able to improve must agree,” the official said. “Both sides will need the same commitment.”