Lavrov telephoned Blinken, accusing the USA of trying to provoke the conflict – Topky.sk

“Minister (Lavrov) stressed that the US and its allies are pursuing provocative goals with a propaganda campaign on ‘Russian aggression’ against Ukraine, inciting the government in Kiev to sabotage the Minsk agreements and to maliciously solve the problems on the Donbas.” stated in a statement by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the same time, Lavrov warned his colleague again that the US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in their responses to Moscow, had ignored Russia’s basic demands for non-enlargement and non-deployment of offensive weapons near Russia’s borders. According to Lavrov, Russia emphasized that it would be the response to these requests that it would evaluate the documents sent by the United States and the alliance.

The diplomatic route is still open

The head of American diplomacy said during the call that “the diplomatic route for resolving the crisis is still open”. However, it requires Russia to accede to “de-escalation and in good faith joined the debate”, the State Department said in a statement on its official website. In addition, Blinken reiterated the warning that if “Moscow will choose the path of aggression and further attack on Ukraine, which will result in a decisive, massive and united transatlantic response”.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergev Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
Source: SITA / Saul Loeb / Pool Photo via AP

Tensions between Russia and the West have risen since Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine. The West fears that Russia is planning an invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow denies. However, it calls on the West to provide security guarantees, including that NATO not expand to Ukraine. Washington denies the guarantees, but has offered Moscow the opportunity to negotiate a new European disarmament agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin will also talk to his US counterpart Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macrone on Saturday about the crisis over Ukraine, AFP reminds.