Blink visits Kiev
US warns Putin against aggression against Ukraine
01/19/2022 1:24 p.m
On Friday, US Secretary of State Blinken will meet his Russian counterpart Lavrov – but the diplomat will send out a warning beforehand. Russia must choose the “peaceful way”. At the same time, Washington has pledged around 400 million euros in aid to Ukraine.
During his visit to Kiev, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of a “very short-term” increase in Russian troops on the border with Ukraine. Washington is aware of corresponding plans in Moscow, said Blinken during his visit to Kiev. “This gives President Putin the opportunity to take further aggressive measures against Ukraine at very short notice.” He called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to take a “peaceful path”.
Meanwhile, a senior US official confirmed that Washington is providing another $200 million in security aid to Ukraine. It is a support “in the field of defensive security”. Before the Russian troop movements on the Ukrainian border, the US government had already pledged military aid of 450 million dollars (around 396 million euros) for the country.
Blinken landed in the Ukrainian capital in the morning. He will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy there and will also hold talks with the country’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba. According to his ministry, the US chief diplomat wants to “reaffirm US support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine” at the meetings.
Blinken will travel from Kiev to Berlin on Thursday, where he will meet Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the foreign ministers of France and Great Britain. He plans to speak to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Friday. According to US information, Blinken wants to urge the Russian government to take immediate steps to ease the situation on the Russian-Ukrainian border during his talks with Lavrov. Despite all diplomatic efforts, Russia has so far pursued the opposite of de-escalation. Putin could attack Ukraine anytime, anywhere.
Because of a massive Russian troop deployment with more than 100,000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine, the West fears that Russia is preparing an invasion of the neighboring country. The government in Moscow denies attack plans. Russia is demanding comprehensive security guarantees from the West in the conflict, such as a refrain from further eastward expansion of NATO and from US military bases in countries in the former Soviet sphere of influence. The Western partners reject this.