The top diplomats of Russia and the United States played down any prospect of quickly resolving their differences over Ukraine at talks they began in Switzerland on Friday, but the U.S. side still hoped the meeting could de-escalate soaring tensions.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shook hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Hotel President Wilson where their meeting is taking place, before they sat down to talk.
Lavrov told Blinken he did not expect a breakthrough at the Geneva talks.
“(Our) proposals are extremely concrete and we await equally concrete answers,” Lavrov said.
