Russia not optimistic amid U.S. talks on Ukraine tensions, Kremlin says

President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow would take unspecified “military-technical measures” if the U.S. and its allies fail to meet its demands.

The Kremlin said Tuesday the security talks with the U.S. amid tensions over Ukraine have given little reason for optimism, adding that Russia would wait for the outcome of other meetings this week before deciding whether it’s worthwhile to continue negotiations.

The U.S. envoy to NATO set a tough tone for the next round of talks with Moscow, ruling out any concessions on the alliance’s eastward expansion amid a Russian troops buildup near Ukraine.

“We will not allow anyone to slam NATO’s open-door policy shut,” said U.S. Ambassador Julianne Smith.

At Monday’s Geneva talks, Moscow insisted on guarantees to halt NATO’s expansion and even roll back the military alliance’s deployments in Eastern Europe, while Washington firmly rejected the demands as a nonstarter.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that while the talks were “open, comprehensive and direct,” he emphasized that it’s the result that matters.

“So far, let’s say we see no significant reason for optimism,” he said in a conference call with reporters.

Peskov said the Kremlin will watch a round of Russia-NATO talks in Brussels on Wednesday and a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna on Thursday to determine whether it would make sense to continue the negotiations. He noted that Russia isn’t setting any deadlines for the talks but wouldn’t accept dragging them out.

Speaking ahead of the talks in Brussels, Smith warned that “not a single ally inside the NATO alliance is willing to budge or negotiate anything as it relates to NATO’s open-door policy.”