MOSCOW—Russian and U.S. officials met Monday to discuss the large-scale buildup of Russian troops at Ukraine’s border, as Washington seeks to avert an invasion of the country and defuse one of the most serious geopolitical crises between Moscow and the West since the end of the Cold War.
Russia has amassed a force of about 100,000 troops near Ukraine, according to U.S. and European officials, in response to what it says is a threat to its own security from the West. The Kremlin has accused the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of trying to encroach into Russia’s backyard with military ties to Ukraine. It has demanded that NATO halt its outreach to eastern countries including Ukraine.