A quick agreement in the dispute between Russia and the West was never to be expected, too much is at stake for that.
The brief meeting between Blinken and Lavrov in Geneva does at least point to a path towards genuine negotiations.
Next week Russia will receive the desired written answer to its draft treaties, after which there will be another meeting between the two foreign ministers and perhaps even one of the presidents.
Blinken stressed that the meeting had allowed for a better understanding of each other's positions.
Hopefully, that's all I can say.
No conflict has yet been resolved by reading ultimatums, and Moscow should be aware of that.
How does Putin get out of the crisis face-saving?
Putin has maneuvered himself into a difficult corner.
What he is asking for is a revision of the security order in Europe, and not just in the post-Soviet space.
At the negotiating table, he will at most get some of that, for example on arms control, and then only with his own concessions.
He could only partially enforce it, because militarily only the western course of the Ukraine could be ended.
However, that would be associated with high costs.
If there are negotiations, then it will also depend on how Putin gets out of his corner while saving face.