Sergey Lavrov

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia's top security demands but said Moscow is willing to talk more to ease tensions over Ukraine.

The comments were his first on the standoff in more than a month and suggested a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine may not be imminent and that at least one more round of diplomacy is likely.

How can we not think about the Cold War? Russia and the United States tore apart the UN Security Council on Monday over Russian troops gathered near Ukraine, and Western nations are threatening Russian oligarchs to make them pay for any military escalation.

The United States and Britain on Sunday flagged new and "devastating" economic sanctions against Russia, as Washington and its NATO allies step up efforts to deter any invasion of Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today that Moscow does not want a war with Ukraine and spoke positively about the proposals received from the United States in the field of security, Reuters reported.

Lukashenko: War is Possible only if Belarus or Russia are Attacked

"Washington's main goal in this case is not the fate of Ukraine at all, it is important for them to escalate tensions over the Russian Federation, to close the issue and then deal with China, as American political scientists write," Lavrov said in an interview with Sputnik radio station "Echo of Moscow", "Moscow Speaks" and "Komsomol Justice".

The United States on Wednesday rejected Russia's key demand to bar Ukraine from NATO and said it believed Moscow was ready to invade but offered what it called a new "diplomatic path" out of the crisis.

The United States has ordered the families of its diplomats to leave Ukraine, as rising fears of a Russian invasion pushed Western officials to meet on Jan. 24 in a bid to coordinate their response and compile a battery of sanctions against Moscow.

U.S. top diplomat Antony Blinken will join a meeting of his EU counterparts by video-link.

NATO rejects Russia's demand for the withdrawal of Alliance troops from Bulgaria and Romania, BNR reports.

The Pact "will not give up our ability to defend ourselves, including through the presence of troops in the eastern parts of the Alliance."

Russia's Foreign Ministry: NATO forces Must be Withdrawn from Bulgaria and Romania

Russia and the United States agreed for Washington to provide written answers to Russia's proposals for security guarantees. This was stated today at a press conference after the meeting between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinkon and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, quoted by TASS.

NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana on Friday rejected Russia's "anachronistic" demand for the Atlantic alliance to withdraw from Romania and Bulgaria, members since 2007.