After Crisis talks With Russia, the Threat of War in Ukraine Still Looms. Here’s Why.

Fears of a possible Russian attack on Ukraine have sharpened after no progress was made during talks in Europe seeking to deter Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine and convince Moscow to de-escalate.

Russian officials said the security talks this past week failed. One top official bemoaned a “dead end” situation, saying it was pointless to continue after the United States and NATO firmly ruled out Russia’s key demands: that Ukraine, Georgia and other nations — including Sweden and Finland — be forever barred from joining NATO.

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The failure of talks means the threat of war has increased, said military analysts, pointing to the recent movements of military logistical units and attack helicopter units that indicate Russia is serious about a possible fight. Russia has insisted it has no plans to invade Ukraine — nearly eight years after its forcible annexation of Crimea.

Russia’s military on Friday announced a snap check on the readiness of military units in the Far East to move long distances swiftly.

“The outlook, in my view, has grown worse,” Michael Kofman, director of Russian studies at the Center for Naval Analyses, wrote on Twitter.

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