Telephone call with blinking: Lavrov accuses the USA of warmongering

Blinking phone call
Lavrov accuses US of warmongering

The US warns of a possible Russian attack on Ukraine in the coming week. According to Moscow, these warnings are propaganda. The Kremlin accuses Washington of increasing the threat of war itself.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the US of wanting to provoke a military conflict in Ukraine. In a phone call with his US colleague Antony Blinken, Lavrov “emphasized that the propaganda campaign launched by the US and its allies regarding ‘Russian aggression’ against Ukraine is pursuing provocative goals,” the Foreign Ministry said in Moscow. Lavrov accused the United States of encouraging the government in Kiev to “sabotage the Minsk agreements” and a “military solution to the Donbass problem.”

Moscow repeatedly accuses Kiev of not fulfilling its obligations under the 2015 peace plan for eastern Ukraine decided in Minsk, Belarus. Unlike the West, Russia sees the danger of war from the Ukrainian side and fears that they could try to use force to take back the breakaway areas in Luhansk and Donzek.

Moscow also said that in the conversation with Blinken, Lavrov also criticized the West for ignoring central Russian demands for security guarantees. Among other things, the Kremlin is demanding an end to the eastward expansion of NATO and wants in particular to prevent Ukraine from being included in the western military alliance. NATO has rejected this demand and refers to the free choice of alliances of states.

According to his ministry, Blinken emphasized in the phone call with Lavrov that the United States was ready to resolve the conflict over Ukraine through diplomatic channels. However, this presupposes “de-escalatory” steps on the part of Russia.

US is withdrawing most of its embassy staff

In addition, the US government is withdrawing most of its embassy staff from Kiev. Regular consular services would be suspended at the embassy starting Sunday, a senior U.S. State Department official said. A few employees would be relocated to Lviv in the west of the country. In the city near the Polish border, consular services would still be offered for emergencies.

The ministry official once again urged US citizens to leave Ukraine. It was “overdue” for her to leave the country. The safety of American citizens is a top priority, but there are limits to what the US government can do “in a war zone.” Do everything possible to prevent Ukraine from becoming a war zone. But it seems increasingly likely that the situation there will develop into an active conflict.

Selenskyj wants to avoid panic

Meanwhile, Kiev was puzzled by renewed US warnings of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine next week. “If you or anyone else has additional information about a 100 percent invasion on February 16, please provide us with that information,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyi told reporters. Kiev is aware that there are risks.

Still, there would be too many reports in the public space of a major war by Russia against Ukraine. Kiev is prepared for everything. But: “The best friend for the enemy is panic in our country,” Selenskyj addressed Western journalists in English. All this information would only create panic and would not help Ukraine.

The United States had warned on Friday that a Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine could possibly take place as early as next week. Washington also announced the deployment of another 3,000 troops to Europe. Several states – including Germany – then called on their citizens to leave the country. The Kremlin regularly rejects invasion plans and speaks of “war hysteria”. So far, Ukraine has not been mobilized, nor has a state of war been declared.

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