France's Le Drian: Putin trying to bypass EU by talking solely to the U.S.

Russia is trying to bypass the European Union by holding talks directly with the United States over Ukraine, where Moscow has moved nearly 100,000 troops close to its border with its neighbor, France's foreign minister said on Friday.

"(Russian President) Vladimir Putin wants to bypass the European Union (...) he wants to put dents in the EU cohesion, which is solidifying", Jean-Yves Le Drian told BFM TV and RMC Radio.

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