On Tuesday, February 22, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced the cancellation of a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, which was scheduled for February 24, since it makes no sense in the context of the “invasion” of Ukraine that has begun. The broadcast was on Twitteraccount of the State Department.
“There is no point in moving forward with this meeting now. I have consulted with our allies and partners. Everyone agreed,” the head of the American foreign policy department said at a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba.
The head of the State Department noted that he notified Lavrov in writing of the decision.
According to him, Washington will not allow Moscow to “pretend to be a participant in the diplomatic process and move along the path of conflict.”
Earlier, on February 19, Blinken said he would meet with his Russian counterpart on February 24. He told Lavrov that he would be glad to see him if Russia did not “invade Ukraine” by the time of the scheduled negotiations.
On February 21, the head of the US Foreign Ministry pointed out that the decision of the Russian Federation to recognize the independence of the DPR and LPR means Moscow’s complete rejection of its obligations under the Minsk agreements and is an “encroachment” on the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He also stressed that the United States will continue to support Kiev in the future.
In turn, a member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia from the executive branch of the Republic of Crimea, a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Olga Kovitidi pointed out that Russia saved everyone from the war by recognizing the independence of the DPR and LPR. She added that the United States and NATO “shamelessly use the territory of Ukraine” to turn it into a springboard against Russia. This is a situation in which it is impossible to stay away.
On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the LPR and DPR and agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance. On February 22, the Russian leader signed federal laws on the ratification of friendship and cooperation treaties with the DPR and LPR.
Since 2014, the Ukrainian authorities have been conducting a military operation against the inhabitants of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup d’état and the new government in Ukraine. At the same time, Kiev blames Moscow for the current situation. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the intra-Ukrainian conflict. The issues of its settlement are being discussed in the Minsk and Normandy formats.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
