Russia says it wants peace but has 'gun on the table' - U.S. envoy

FILE PHOTO: U.S. ambassador to Russia John Sullivan leaves after visiting the Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters in Moscow, Russia January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia says it does not want war but has placed a "gun on the table" in its negotiations with the United States by massing troops on Ukraine's borders, U.S. Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan said on Friday.

In an online briefing from Moscow, Sullivan described the buildup of tens of thousands of Russian troops as "extraordinary" and said it could not be explained as an ordinary military exercise or exercises.