The United States has offered to hold a meeting with Russia next week on the Ukraine crisis. During the meeting, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will hold talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. But before the meeting, Blinken agreed to the terms. He says there will be no talks if Ukraine is attacked.
The foreign ministry spokesman Ned Price made the announcement in a statement on Thursday, local time, according to AFP.
“The United States is the first to offer such a meeting, because we believe that a responsible solution to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine can be found through diplomacy and negotiations,” he said.
Meanwhile, tensions flared again less than a day after the announcement of Kiev’s withdrawal from Moscow to ease tensions and avoid clashes. The United States has said in a statement, “Russia is seeking an excuse to invade Ukraine, and that the Putin government has expelled the deputy chief of staff from the US embassy in Moscow. Despite the UN Security Council meeting to resolve the ongoing crisis, no solution has been reached.”
Anthony Blinken said, “Moscow has gathered millions of troops on the border in recent days, which posed a threat to Ukraine’s security. I want to make it clear that there is a strong possibility that Russia will invade Ukraine in a few days. In order to resolve this crisis diplomatically, both sides have to agree.”