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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Ukraine on Wednesday.
The visit comes at a time when last week’s talks with Moscow have reached a stalemate, as well as amid Washington’s concerns that Russia is preparing to attack Ukraine.
The State Department announced today that the top US diplomat will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Meanwhile, Secretary Blinken had a telephone conversation today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The State Department statement said Mr. Blinken stressed the importance of continuing a diplomatic path to reduce tensions over the increase of the Russian military presence on the border with Ukraine.
Secretary Blinken reiterated the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stressed that any discussion of European security should involve NATO allies and European partners, including Ukraine.
Following his visit to Kiev, Mr Blinken will travel to Berlin for a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, followed by a meeting of the Transatlantic Quartet, a format that includes the United States, Britain, France and Germany.
Mr. Blinken will:discuss recent diplomatic engagements with Russia and joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine, including the readiness of allies and partners to impose tough sanctions at heavy economic costs on Russia“, It was said in the statement of DASH.
Mr Blinken’s trip comes after talks last week in Geneva between Russian and US officials aimed at resolving disputes over Ukraine and other security issues. Yes talks made no progress.
Russia has demanded assurances that Ukraine will never join NATO.
Last week the Biden administration accused Moscow of preparing a fabricated attack to justify an intervention in Ukraine, a charge Russia has denied.
On Monday, a delegation of US lawmakers visited Kiev, evidence of support for Ukraine.
Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar told VOA’s Ukrainian Service that part of the delegation are Democrats and Republicans with very different political views but who support Ukraine. She said that if Vladimir Putin makes an unfaithful and anti-democratic choice, attacking Ukraine, he will face harsh and immediate sanctions.
For his part, Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer said the United States will not stand idly by if something happens. But he added that Washington is looking for a solution to avoid conflict.
President Joe Biden has warned Moscow that it will face severe economic consequences if it attacks its neighbor. Russia, which has significantly increased its military presence on the border with Ukraine, has denied that it is planning any attack./VOA
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