© Reuters. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking as he greets staff at the US embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 19, 2022. Alex Brandon / Pool via REUTERS
2/2
Author Simon Lewis
KYIV (Reuters) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday and whistled to end tensions with Moscow over Ukraine, warning Russia could launch new threats “in a very short time”.
Blinken will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and then travel to Berlin for talks with allies before heading to Geneva to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after talks last week.
Russia has mobilized thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border, with Kyiv and its allies fearing that they could prepare for a new war against Ukraine.
In addition to the jitters, Russia moved more troops to Belarus this week ahead of what Minsk said it planned to do next month’s exercise. Moscow has rejected plans to launch an insurgency but has pressured Washington to assure him of security, including blocking Ukraine’s accession to NATO.
Speaking to ambassadors at the US embassy in Kyiv, Blinken said he hoped Russia would pursue a peaceful and prosperous approach to Lavrov, and warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could order an offensive soon.
“As you are well aware, we have been engaging with them for the past few months looking very much at Ukraine because of the increase we have seen in the Russian military that we have seen near the Ukrainian border,” Blinken said. .
Russia’s arrest, he said, took place “without anger, without cause.”
“We know that there are plans to increase this power gradually, and that will give President Putin the strength, and in short, to take action against Ukraine,” Blinken said.
Russia’s actions have attracted the attention of Washington, as well as its European allies and beyond, he said.
The government of US President Joe Biden last month approved a $ 200 million grant https://www.reuters.com/world/us-approved-200-mln-defense-aid-ukraine-december-state-department-official -2022 -01-19 in support of security in Ukraine and provided more assistance last year than at any other time since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
US HELP IN UKRAINE
A spokesman for the State Department, Ned Price, said Blinken’s visit was “a reaffirmation of our support for the Ukrainian administration and its integrity”. Washington has warned Russia of dire consequences if it could recur, while promising to strengthen security in Europe.
“If Russia invades Ukraine again, we will provide more weapons to protect the Ukrainian people beyond what we have already planned,” he said.
Blinken will meet Zelenskiy and Foreign Minister Dmytro on Wednesday.
Then in Berlin he will meet with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and then the Transatlantic Quad, in a bid to affect the United States, Britain, France and Germany.
Germany signed Tuesday to suspend Nord Stream 2 https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-signals-it-could-halt-gas-pipeline-if-russia-invades-ukraine-2022- 01-18 pipeline from Russia if Moscow attacks Ukraine.
Blinken spoke to Lavrov on Tuesday and the two decided to sing that it would be helpful to meet face to face.
Lavrov privately said Moscow had accepted US efforts and reiterated Russia’s allegations that Ukraine was “destroying” treaties aimed at resolving conflicts between Ukrainian troops and Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.
Despite holding talks this month, Washington still sees Russia reducing tensions and Moscow could invade Ukraine at any time in January or February, a US official said in the past.
“We are now in a time when Russia could invade Ukraine at any time,” he said
Kyiv has sought weapons from the West to protect its security. On Monday, Britain said it had begun providing Ukrainian weapons to help defend itself.
