Dmitry Antonov

MOSCOW, (Reuters) – The Kremlin declared Tuesday that there was no reason for optimism after a round of negotiations with Washington on the Ukraine crisis.

Dmitry Peskov (Kremlin spokesperson) said that it was positive but noted that Monday’s Geneva talks had been open and substantively conducted.

Russia does not set deadlines, but he said Russia would not settle for an “endless dragging of this process.”

Russia has deployed troops to Ukraine’s frontier and requested that the U.S. led NATO alliance stop admitting former Soviet states as members or expanding eastward.

Washington said that it could not agree to these demands. However, it has indicated willingness to discuss other aspects of Russia’s proposals such as the deployment of missiles or limitations on military exercises.

Peskov indicated that things would improve after two more rounds of negotiations between Russia and NATO in Brussels and with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna.

The U.S. and Russian negotiators didn’t show signs of trying to narrow their differences after the Geneva first session.

“Unfortunately, we have a wide range in our principled approaches. “The U.S., Russia and other countries have different views about what should be done,” Sergei Ryabkov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said at a press conference Monday.

Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary-of State said that she was firm in her refusal to accept security proposals “that are non-starters for the United States.”

Moscow was urged by the United States to stop its estimated 100,000-strong military presence near Ukraine’s border. These concerns have prompted Western and Ukrainian concern about possible invasion.

Ryabkov stated that Russia did not intend to attack Ukraine.