[ad_1]
US Secretary of State Anony Blinken will meet on Friday (January 21st) in Geneva, Switzerland, with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in a continuing effort to ease tensions amid concerns that Russia will invade Ukraine, despite warnings about severe consequences.
Talks in the Swiss city between top diplomats come after a diplomatic storm in recent weeks that has failed to overcome deep divisions between Moscow and the West over security issues in Eastern Europe.
Before leaving for Geneva, Blinken pointed out that he does not foresee any progress in these talks, which, as he said, given the situation where the talks are taking place, should explore whether the diplomatic path to resolve this issue can really continue. crisis.
“Russia can choose the path of diplomacy and dialogue or confrontation and its consequences,” Blinken said in a January 20 interview with German television station ZDF.
“I think we will know more tomorrow (Friday, January 21) – at least I hope so – whether Russia is really committed to trying to resolve these tensions through dialogue or not,” he said.
Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops in Crimea and near Ukraine’s borders, raising alarm in Western capitals that Moscow is preparing further military action against Ukraine.
Moscow already supports separatist fighters in an ongoing war in eastern Ukraine that has claimed more than 13,200 lives since 2014, the same year it illegally annexed Crimea.
Moscow is angry about Western military support for Ukraine.
Washington and its allies have said most of Russia’s demands are not initial.
US President Joe Biden said at a news conference on January 19 that Russia would face severe economic consequences if a military offensive took place.
Russia denies planning an invasion, though it adds war rhetoric and demands a list of security guarantees.
The demands include a promise from NATO to never accept Ukraine and a significant withdrawal of the alliance from Eastern Europe.
top channel
[ad_2]
Source link
