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US and Russia: talks on Ukraine without results
The conversation was open, without polemics, characterized by professionalism. That was the verdict of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after meeting his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Geneva. On Friday it was about the Ukraine conflict. “I made it clear to the minister that there are certain fundamental principles that the US and its allies defend. That includes the sovereign right of the Ukrainian people to shape their own future. There is no room for negotiation here.” It is clear that NATO’s open-door policy will not be questioned, said Blinken, referring to Russian demands that Ukraine should not be admitted to NATO. Blinken pointed to the danger that Russia, with its current military deployment, could attack Ukraine from the south, east and north. He was also aware of Russia’s plans to destabilize Ukraine without military force. There will be a quick and strong response to an attack. “We spoke openly with Antony Blinken today. He agreed that the dialogue should be more reasonable. I hope that emotions will cool down, but there are no guarantees,” Lavrov said after the conversation with Blinken. Russia has never threatened the Ukrainian people and has no plans to attack the former Soviet republic. He hoped that things would calm down again. Blinken asked him to de-escalate the situation. However, NATO is working against his country, Lavrov said. Russia is concerned about sending weapons and military advisers to Ukraine. The Russian foreign minister said Moscow is now awaiting a written statement from the US on Russia’s security concerns. The United States has announced that it will not wait for Russia’s response. Further military aid will be delivered to Ukraine in the coming week.
US Secretary of State Blinken said there were no negotiations. Rather, positions have been exchanged. He and his Russian counterpart Lavrov met in Geneva on Friday.