Moscow downplays prospects for US talks but signs of thaw emerge

| A top Russian politician has said invading Ukraine would be “catastrophic” and a Belarusian general has signalled that Russian troops would not be stationed indefinitely on its Ukrainian border, boosting hopes for a de-escalation of the crisis.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were “always prospects for continuing a dialogue, it’s in the interests of both us and the Americans”. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said elements of the US response could prompt “the start of a serious talk on secondary issues”. But the likelihood of this seemed to recede slightly after the chief of staff of the Belarus armed forces, Viktor Gulevich, reportedly said in a statement that the Russian troops would leave his country after the exercise, and did not pose a threat to other countries.

The British government said at the weekend that the Kremlin was planning to install a Russian crony at the top of Ukraine’s government. Moscow denied the claim, and it is unclear how it would be achieved short of an invasion and coup. Although gas-dependent Germany is wary of pushing Moscow too hard, Ms Baerbock said the future of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline - which bypasses Ukraine on its way to Germany - was still on the table as part of a potential retaliation against any Russian incursion.

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