In marathon security talks, US warns Russia against invading Ukraine

“We've made it clear that if Russian further invades Ukraine, there will be significant costs and consequences well beyond what they did in 2014” – referring to the takeover of Crimea – said US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman after her talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov at the US Mission to the UN in Geneva.

She said it was the third time that the US-Russia Strategic Stability dialogue has convened since President Joe Biden and President Vladimir Putin met in Geneva last year.

"We will not allow anyone to slam close NATO's open-door policy, which has always been central to the NATO alliance," said Sherman. "And we will not make decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine, about Europe without Europe, and about NATO without NATO."

She said the meeting was an "extraordinary session" due to the context in which Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine.

It was Russia that invaded Ukraine in 2014, she noted, also pointing to the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, bordering Russia.

"It is Russia that continues to fuel a war in eastern Ukraine, and it's claimed nearly 40,000 Ukrainian lives. And now, Russia's actions are causing a renewed crisis. Not only for Ukraine, but for all of Europe."

"The United States and Russia agree that a nuclear war can never be one and must never be fought,” she also said.

Sherman said the US came to Monday's extraordinary meeting "prepared to hear Russian security concerns and to share our own," adding that the US is ready to continue discussions on the bilateral issues they identified.

Sherman and Ryabkov had also met on Sunday in Geneva to prepare for the meeting.

"The Deputy Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister discussed the bilateral topics both sides would address during the extraordinary meeting of the Strategic Stability Dialogue (SSD) January 10," said the US in a statement.