Russia, U.S. to open security talks on Ukraine

Russia and the United States open talks in Geneva on Monday over Moscow's demand for Western security guarantees amid a buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine.

The negotiations are aimed at reducing tensions as fears grow in the West that  Moscow could invade its neighbour.

Russia has insisted it has no intention of invading, and, in turn, has accused Ukrainian authorities of planning to reclaim control over the territories held by Russia-backed separatists in the country's east. Ukraine denies the charge.

Amid the tensions, Russia has demanded that Washington and its allies make a binding commitment to halt NATO's eastward expansion and rescind a 2008 promise of membership to Ukraine and Georgia.

It also wants the U.S. and the NATO alliance to promise it won't deploy weapons and conduct any military activities in Ukraine or other former Soviet nations.

Washington has dismissed the demands as a non-starter, emphasising that NATO's key principle is that membership is open to any qualifying country and no outsider has a veto power.

They acknowledge that Ukraine and Georgia aren't ready for membership yet and there's little prospect that they could be invited to join NATO any time soon, but they insist that the alliance doors must remain open to them.

Russian independent political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin said that for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, it was out of the question that Ukraine or Georgia could join NATO.

Oreshkin said that by "dancing with weapons", Putin had managed to unite the West against Moscow, even though countries like Germany, France and the UK have differing agendas towards Russia.

Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden twice discussed the Russian troop build-up with Putin, warning that Moscow will face "severe consequences," including unprecedented economic and financial sanctions, if it attacks Ukraine.

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and has backed a separatist rebellion in the country's east where more than seven years of fighting has killed over 14,000 people.

Despite the sharp differences, Biden said he remained hopeful for the upcoming talks.

The White House has urged Russia to help create a positive environment for the negotiations by pulling back its troops from areas near Ukraine.

Russia has rejected the demand, saying that it's free to deploy its forces wherever it deems necessary on its own territory and describing the deployments as a response to "hostile" moves by NATO.