“The United States looks forward to consulting with Russia,” said a spokesman for the National Security Council. “During the talks, Russia may put its concerns on the table and we will.”

Consultation with Ukraine

The spokesman stressed that no decision would be made about Ukraine without consulting the Ukrainians. “There will be topics that we can move forward with and topics that we do not agree with. That’s how diplomacy works.”

Two more meetings are scheduled for the same week. On January 12, Russian ambassadors will meet with NATO members, and on January 13, a consultation between the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Russia will take place.

Force building

The OSCE has been monitoring compliance with the ceasefire agreement between Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian government military in Ukraine for years.

Tensions between Russia and the West are currently rising as Russian forces are concentrated on the border with Ukraine. That Eastern European country wants to join NATO. The United States has announced that it will impose heavy sanctions on Russia if it decides to invade its neighbors.