After tough talk between Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin over the Russian troop buildup on the Ukraine border, both sides insist they are hopeful that a pathway to easing tensions could open during diplomatic talks set for January. Meanwhile, Biden’s national security team on Friday turned their attention to preparation for the Geneva talks, set for Jan. 9 and 10, to discuss Russia’s massing of some 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine. Following the Biden-Putin call, a group of 24 former U.S. national security officials and Russia experts – a group that includes several officials who served in the Obama, George W.