Ukraine talks: Russia sees no grounds for optimism ahead of Nato meeting

Moscow's chief negotiator played down chances of a breakthrough as Russian troops conduct live-fire exercise near Ukraine

The Kremlin has said it sees no significant reason for optimism" about diplomatic solutions for the Ukraine crisis, ahead of a meeting in Brussels between Russia and Nato's 30 member states.

As Moscow was playing down the chances for success at the negotiating table after initial US-Russian talks in Switzerland on Monday, Russian forces deployed near Ukraine conducted a live-fire military exercise involving 3,000 troops and tanks, in a clear rejection of US demands for a de-escalation in the region.