Better than Putin bargained for? Critics of Geneva talks between Cold War rivals rewards the Kremlin for its massive troop buildup on the Ukrainian border. Would the United States be sitting down with Russia without the threat of an invasion? Better to talk or not to talk? 

It is about much more than Ukraine. Back in November, Vladimir Putin called U.S-led Nato naval manoeuvres in the Black Sea a "serious challenge". In other words a direct threat. And there are calls to revive lapsed Cold War era treaties that keep a lid on nuclear warheads in Europe.

Europe this time again left out of talks about the escalation on its border. Here you see the EU's foreign policy chief last week near the frontline in eastern Ukraine, showing support for Kiev. Some on this continent fear Geneva could lead to another Yalta a nod to the summit that drew the map of Cold War Europe without the Europeans.

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