US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his calls to Russia, which maintains a military presence on the Ukrainian border. According to the latest statement of the US State Department, Blinken met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and called for a diplomatic path to reduce tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border.
Blinken also once again sent the message that the United States will remain committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty, and said that NATO allies and all European partners, including Ukraine, should be involved in the talks to resolve any issue regarding European security.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said Moscow would welcome diplomatic initiatives from the United States. Lavrov reiterated his accusations that Ukraine “sabotaged” constructive agreements in the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
“Blinken will meet with Zelenskiy”
On January 20, Secretary Blinken will travel to Berlin, Germany to discuss recent diplomatic engagements with Russia and joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine, including Allies’ and partners’ readiness to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs on Russia. The Secretary will meet with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, followed by a meeting with the Transatlantic Quad.
The Secretary’s travel and consultations are part of the diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the tension caused by Russia’s military build-up and continued aggression against Ukraine.
The US State Department announced that as part of this week’s European visits, Antony Blinken will hold talks on Ukraine’s security in Kiev and Berlin on January 18-20.
According to the statement, Blinken, who is scheduled to start his visit in Kiev, will travel to Germany on January 19 after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dimitro Kuleba. On January 20, the US Secretary of State will participate in negotiations in the capital, Berlin, to prevent Russian military maneuvers on the Ukrainian border and to ensure the security of the country.
Blinken will meet with German Foreign Minister Annelena Bearbock, and then other members of the Transatlantic Four countries, including the United States, will meet with officials from Britain, Germany and France.
The claim that “Lavrov and Blinken will meet”
On the other hand, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that Blinken and Lavrov will meet in Geneva on Friday to discuss once again the security assurances Moscow demands from the West.
According to the report, Blinken will meet with Lavrov on Friday after the talks in Berlin.
In a statement made by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was stated that Antony Blinken and Sergey Lavrov might meet again soon, but no details were shared. The US State Department’s statement did not contain any information confirming that Blinken and Lavrov will meet on Friday.
The talks between the US and its allies with Russia on Ukraine did not yield any clear results. At the initiative of the United States and its NATO allies, during a three-round negotiation process with Russian officials in Europe last week, American officials and their Western partners reiterated their reactions to Russia’s deployment of troops on the Ukrainian border, calling on Russia to follow a “diplomatic path”. However, during the negotiations, the Russian army’s exercise on the Ukrainian border, where it is claimed that 100 thousand soldiers were deployed, caused the tension to increase even more.
Russian officials, on the other hand, continue to reject claims by the United States and its Western allies that Russia is attempting to invade Ukraine. The Russian government claims that NATO’s ammunition support to Ukraine threatens Russia’s security.