[ad_1]
The United States and Russia have plunged into the Ukrainian border with Russian military forces, with no sign of surrendering from the entrenched positions that have sparked fears of a Russian invasion and a new war in Europe.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were critical of the talks on Friday, but the two sides did not appear closer to easing tensions and preventing the threat of Russian invasion.
Ukraine, on the other hand, said that it was prepared for the worst and that it would survive the difficulties that would arise.
During a visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on Wednesday, Blinken accused Russia of plotting to deploy more than 100,000 troops deployed across the Ukrainian border, suggesting that the number could double in “relatively short”.
Blinken did not give details, but Russia has sent a specific number of troops from the country’s far east to its ally Belarus, which also shares a border with Ukraine, for major war games next month.
Blinken also reiterated Washington’s call for Russia to withdraw its forces from the border area, which Moscow has completely rejected.
Blinken said he would not give a written response to Russia’s proposals to Geneva Lavrov, but promised “a relentless diplomatic effort to prevent a new attack and to promote dialogue and peace.”
Meanwhile, a senior Russian diplomat said Moscow would not back down when the US formally declared itself. banned Ukraine from ever joining NATO and reducing its military and alliance presence in Eastern Europe.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said that Moscow has no plans to invade Ukraine, but that security requirements are non-negotiable.
The United States and its allies have said that Russia’s demands are not forthcoming, that Russia is aware of them, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using them to some extent to create one. An excuse to invade Ukraine.
The former Soviet Republic wants to join the alliance, although it has little hope of doing so in the near future.
The blockade left little hope for a meeting between Blink and Lavrov, after a series of unresolved talks last week, to ease tensions that have been on the rise since last year but have escalated in Russian military activity in recent weeks.
“Relentless Attack”
In Kiev, Blinken called on Western nations to remain united in the face of the Russian attack. He also reassured the Ukrainian supporter of NATO while calling on the Ukrainians to stand firm.
Blinken told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States and its allies were firmly in favor of his country and its democratic aspirations in a “relentless attack” on attempts to promote Russia’s division and dissent.
“Our strength depends on the preservation of our unity, which includes the unity of Ukraine,” he told Zelenskyy.
“I think one of Moscow’s long-standing goals has been to try to sow divisions between our countries and our countries, and we just can’t and won’t let them do that.”
The Biden administration previously said it would provide an additional $ 200 million in military defense assistance to Ukraine. Blinken said more aid was coming and would only increase if it invaded Russia.
Zelenskyy thanked Blinken for his help, which was approved in late December but was not confirmed until Wednesday.
“It simply came to our notice then [military] support is not only about our strategic plans to join the Ukraine alliance, but more importantly about the level of our military, our military supplies, “he said, referring to Kiev’s desire to join NATO.
“Your visit is very important,” Zelenskyy said. “It reaffirms your strong support for our independence and sovereignty.”
From Kiev, Blinken scheduled a brief trip to Berlin on Thursday for talks with other German and European allies before meeting with Lavrov.
Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel Hamid, speaking from Kiev, said he spoke to the locals “that they were quite innocent with the idea that a military escalation could happen soon.”
“They think there’s a lot of talk right now, it’s scary, but you don’t think there’s a panic among the people; it’s certainly a bit of a concern,” Abdel Hamid said.
“It simply came to our notice then. There is no running to the supermarkets, people are living their lives. Moreover, people feel confident that this time the Ukrainian ministry is much stronger, has received a lot of training, has received a lot of military hardware; It is in a better position than in 2014. ”
Russia seized the Crimean peninsula in 2014 after the overthrow of Ukraine’s Moscow leader and also put its forces behind a separatist armed uprising in eastern Ukraine.
More than 14,000 people have been killed in fighting between Russian-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces in nearly eight years in the country’s industrial center called Donbas.
[ad_2]
Source link
