US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried held her first meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in Moscow.

The Russian ministry said in a statement that "a thorough discussion of security guarantees took place in light of the ongoing attempts by the United States and NATO to change the military and political situation in Europe in their favor." 

Donfried also met in Moscow with Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak.

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"During these meetings, Dr. Donfried discussed U.S. concerns regarding Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine and reinforced the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Assistant Secretary emphasized that progress is possible on ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine through the implementation of the Minsk agreements and that the United States is ready to support diplomatic efforts, in support of the Normandy Format," the embassy added in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that he wants "immediate" talks with the United States and NATO over security guarantees amid the rising pressures between Russia, Ukraine, and the West. 

The Kremlin released a statement after a conversation with the Finnish president, saying that Putin indicated the need to immediately launch negotiations with the United States and NATO to “determine legal guarantees for the security of our country, with the aim of ruling out the future expansion of the alliance to the east and the deployment of weapons systems that threaten Russia in Ukraine and other neighboring countries." 

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has lately underlined that the aggressive US rhetoric does not help in defusing tense relations between Moscow and Washington.