According to a Morning Consult poll on Tuesday, Western countries with stronger ties to Russia are more likely to seek a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine crisis. 

"As US and Russian officials meet in Europe this week for high-stakes talks, Morning Consult polling shows adults who reside in countries that would be impacted the most by proposed economic sanctions against Moscow are the most likely to support a diplomatic approach to resolve the Ukraine crisis, and more likely to think negotiations can deter Russia from invading Ukraine," the pollster said.

One of the questions of the poll was what stance the participants would prefer to see the US take when it came to the Ukraine crisis. About 51% of adults in Germany answered that they would prefer the US to have "diplomatic negotiations with Russia," whereas only 11% supported "imposing sanctions on Russia," and 15% said that the US should give military support to Ukraine. 

Furthermore, 49% of the French and 42% of the British prefer the US to have diplomatic talks with Russia. 

In the past few weeks, with accusations of Russia's alleged plans to invade Ukraine, tensions between NATO and Russia over Ukraine have been brewing. Russia denied such allegations, arguing that in fact, NATO's military activity in the Black Sea is threatening to Russian security and stability. 

Sullivan meets with Russian officials before Ukraine talks 

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Russia hawks, including some who served under the previous administration, in order to get their input on the US-Russian talks.

Sullivan's meeting is claimed to be intended to help the establishment weigh in "all options" on how to 'discourage Russia from invading Ukraine', according to Axios. A view from outsiders will not only help the National Security Council in considering multiple options but can also mitigate political and media fallback if they're not excluded from the process.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is the leader of the US team during the US-Russia bilateral talks. Sherman was part of the US negotiating team during the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal. This meeting will be followed by a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in Brussels on Wednesday.