Russia, US hold working dinner to open Geneva talks
ABC News
Top Russian and U.S. officials have held a working dinner in Geneva as part of the kickoff to a string of meetings in three European cities this week with bilateral ties at a low ebb over Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine
GENEVA -- Top Russian and U.S. officials held a working dinner in Geneva on Sunday as part of the kickoff to a string of meetings in three European cities this week, with bilateral ties at a low ebb over Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and other Russian officials arrived in the evening for a meeting at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, diplomatic officials said. The luxury apartment overlooks Lake Geneva. Ryabkov was meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and her team.
Earlier Sunday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on state television that a first round of “narrow-format” talks on security would get underway during the day, according to Tass news agency.
The less formal Sunday talks come ahead of a broader discussion between the two diplomats and their teams at the U.S. mission in Geneva starting Monday, a first step toward rekindling dialogue as ties have worsened because Russia has deployed an estimated 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine. Concerns have risen about a broader Russian military incursion in the country.
