WASHINGTON – Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to hit pause on the drumbeat of a possible war with Ukraine Tuesday with an announcement that he is ready to engage in security talks with the U.S. and NATO, raising the possibility of a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
President Joe Biden and other U.S. officials expressed skepticism about Putin’s diplomatic overture, even as they welcomed the renewed commitment to a negotiated solution to the standoff. Biden noted that Russia still has 150,000 troops amassed near Ukraine’s border and the U.S. had seen no evidence of a drawdown.