European security proposals that Russia sent to the West late last year point the way to a dangerous new world order, a US official said.

Michael Carpenter, US ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said in an interview with Radio Free Europe that the West simply cannot negotiate on key principles such as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

"If we start down the path of negotiating the core principles of the international order, then we will end up in a world where power makes law and missiles, tanks and troops decide whether a country gets to choose its future," Carpenter said.

In December, Russia asked NATO to halt eastward expansion and withdraw troops and weaponry from eastern and central Europe.

Moscow made the demands as it deployed more than 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine. The buildup of troops, according to Western experts and officials, is Russia's attempt to negotiate by "putting the gun on the table."

Russia is seeking to block Ukraine's NATO membership, something the Kremlin has called a "red line."

Three rounds of negotiations, held earlier this month between the West and Russia over security demands, have failed, as concerns have grown that an invasion of Ukraine may be imminent. Russia denies that it has plans to invade Ukraine.

During these meetings, the US and its European partners have warned Moscow that it will face "massive" economic sanctions if it invades Ukraine.

Carpenter, who represented Washington at the OSCE meeting with Russia on January 13, said the threat of strong Western sanctions meant Russia had to choose between diplomacy and occupation.

"What we judge to be the most effective way to approach the situation is to widen the gap between these two elections so that it becomes very clear" for Russia, he said.

However, there is concern that there may be disagreements in the West over the response to Russian aggression. Germany, Europe's largest economy, has deep trade ties with Russia and stands to lose more than other countries if sanctions are imposed on Russia.

Carpenter said not every country could be "100 percent on the same page" about the measures being discussed, but said he believed there was strong unity to impose tough sanctions in the event of an invasion.

While calling the Russian military buildup worrisome, Carpenter said he still has hope for diplomacy, noting that the West and Russia can make progress on some of Moscow's demands, such as arms limits and transparency on military exercises.

He also said that the US supports the continuation of peace talks to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists.