Ukraine talks: Russia sees no grounds for optimism ahead of Nato meeting - The Guardian

The Kremlin has said it sees “no significant reason for optimism” about diplomatic solutions for the Ukraine crisis, ahead of a meeting in Brussels between Russia and Nato’s 30 member states.

But Ryabkov said the negotiations had made no progress towards fulfilling Vladimir Putin’s central demand: a guarantee that Ukraine will never become a Nato member and that US troops and equipment would be withdrawn from former Soviet bloc countries in eastern Europe that are now in Nato.

Julianne Smith, the US ambassador to Nato, said Russia would get the same response from all members of the alliance on Wednesday.

As for Nato returning to its old posture before it began its eastern enlargement in 1997, the ambassador said: “I think we’re operating in today’s world with Nato as it stands today, and I don’t think anyone inside the Nato alliance is interested in going back in time to revisit an era where Nato looked a lot different than it does today.”.