Reuters
In a terse State Department briefing Tuesday, spokesman Ned Price said that there has been no indication that diplomatic talks with Russia have alleviated tensions on the Ukrainian border.
"We have been very clear," Price told reporters. "There is not a precondition for dialogue in diplomacy, but there is a precondition for that dialogue … moving in the right direction.
"I don’t think we’ve seen any concrete indications of de-escalation just yet," he added.
The briefing became unusually heated when Price was asked about NATO member-nations appearing to deviate from U.S. assurances that the alliance will show a united front should Russia invade Ukraine.
Last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attempted to clear the air following reports that Berlin may not support severe economic sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which the U.S. and NATO have threatened the Kremlin with.
