Russia warned that it would walk away from diplomatic efforts to end the crisis over Ukraine if the west continued to ignore demands over security guarantees, but agreed to extend talks into this week.
There was no breakthrough in Geneva after nearly eight hours of discussions between Wendy Sherman, US deputy secretary of state, and Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, in which the American side presented new ideas on arms control.
But there was no breakdown either in talks that Russia has warned could lead to military action if its red lines are not respected. With 100,000 Russian troops amassed along its border with Ukraine, fears of conflict have intensified.