(Updated with possible US sanctions against Russia)
WASHINGTON, Jan.8 (Reuters) – The United States and its allies stand ready to discuss with Russia, in talks on Ukraine, the possibility for each side to restrict military activities and missile deployments in the region, a senior official in US President Joe Biden’s administration said on Saturday.
While crucial negotiations are due to start Monday in Geneva, the senior official said that the United States was not on the other hand ready to discuss the limits of the deployment of American troops or the maintenance of American forces in NATO countries. In the region.
Joe Biden warned that Russia would face serious economic consequences if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to invade Ukraine.
US officials on Saturday provided more details on the sanctions that could be taken against Moscow.
According to a source familiar with the US plans, the sanctions could target key Russian industrial sectors, such as defense and civil aviation, and could affect Russia’s high-tech ambitions, for example in the field of artificial intelligence or quantum computing, or even consumer electronics.
The Geneva negotiations, which will be followed by further discussion sessions in Brussels and Vienna, aim to avoid a crisis.
Vladimir Putin has massed tens of thousands of troops along the border with Ukraine, raising fears of an invasion.
(Steve Holland report, French version Matthieu Protard)
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