Veteran U.S., Russia diplomats to tackle Ukraine tensions in Geneva

FILE PHOTO: Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman speaks on the situation in Afghanistan at the State Department in Washington, DC, U.S. August 18, 2021. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Talks between U.S. and Russian diplomats begin in Geneva on Monday after a weekslong stand-off over Russian troop deployments near its border with Ukraine, with veteran envoys on each side trying to avert a crisis.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the No. 2 official at the U.S. State Department, will face Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. The two combined have more than half a century of diplomatic experience.