NBC News
The U.S. said it had offered a “diplomatic path forward” in the standoff with Russia over Ukraine. On Thursday, the Kremlin said it saw little grounds for optimism.
With the ball now back in Moscow's court, the West was given little immediate sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin would seek to de-escalate tensions and allay fears of a deadly new conflict.
Russia warned it was pessimistic but indicated it would take its time to study the written responses from the U.S. and NATO before it decides how to move forward.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there were “few reasons for optimism” after the Western allies made it clear that they would not accede to Russia's key asks, but he urged against a rush to conclusions.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters there was hope for “the start of a serious conversation” but clearly not on the fundamental issues raised by Russia, whose demands amounted to an effort to redraw Europe’s post-Cold War security landscape.
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