Blinken “stressed the importance of continuing down the diplomatic track to de-escalate tensions around the worrying Russian military build-up in and around Ukraine,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said shortly before the chief diplomat American trip to Ukraine.
“The secretary reiterated the United States’ unwavering commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and stressed that any discussion of European security must include NATO allies and European partners, including Ukraine,” Price said in a statement. .
Blinken will reiterate his message in Geneva on Friday when he meets with Lavrov.
Contact
Lavrov, speaking to reporters while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was visiting Moscow, said his government awaits a response from the United States to its security demands before continuing talks.
“Russia is now waiting for answers to these proposals, as we were promised, to continue the negotiations,” he noted.
The Kremlin has amassed tens of thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border, leading Western powers to fear an eventual invasion of the neighboring country.
Moscow demanded assurances that Ukraine will not be allowed to join NATO, the US-led Western defense alliance. According to the Kremlin, this would mean the possibility of troops and weapons – including nuclear weapons – being deployed very close to its border and in a country that it has traditionally considered part of its zone of influence. Given this, he warned that he could respond with military deployments that he did not specify in Cuba and Venezuela.
Back
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed himself along the same lines as Blinken.
“Today (yesterday) I have invited Russia and all NATO allies to participate in a series of NATO-Russia Council meetings in the near future,” he told a news conference in Berlin, alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (see separate note).
These negotiations will aim to “respond to our concerns, and also listen to those of Russia” and “find a way forward to prevent any military attack against Ukraine,” he added.
Last week, an earlier meeting of the NATO-Russia Council ended by noting the deep divergences between the allies and Moscow on the question of security in Europe.
Stoltenberg, however, issued a stern warning. “We send a very clear message to Russia: if it decides to use force against Ukraine again, it will have to pay the high price of economic, financial and political sanctions,” he warned, while reiterating “the support of the allies of the NATO” to Ukraine.
The crisis is escalating to such an extent that Sweden decided to send hundreds of soldiers to reinforce security on the island of Gotland. “We are not naive and it is clear that there is a risk. A Russian attack cannot be ruled out,” Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said.
Source From: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
