US secretary of state Antony Blinken warned that Russia is poised to invade and launch an attack on Ukraine, according to a report by AFP. Blinken is scheduled to visit Kyiv, to show his support for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky later today. He is also scheduled to meet Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday to hold another round of discussions.
US fears were exacerbated after Belarus decided to draft constitutional reforms which could pave the way for deployment of Russian nuclear weapons. Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, also announced that both nations will conduct military exercises – an act US feels could lead to a rise in tensions in the region.
“We believe we’re now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack on Ukraine. I would say that’s more stark than we have been,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. Psaki also warned that the US is considering every option if Russian aggression does not cease. She said that the US may consider shelving the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is flaunted by Moscow as an example of its natural gas exporting capabilities.
Psaki said that the pipeline is a ‘credible piece’ the US holds over Russia in this scenario. The US also plans on economic sanctions which could target individual businesses and entities and also plans removal of Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system.
Concrete Responses
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov demanded that the US respond to Russia’s demands and deliver ‘concrete article-by-article’ responses as soon as possible, according to a statement released by the Russian foreign ministry. Russia demands barring Ukraine from eventual NATO membership and also demands limitations on the number of NATO troops in current member nations like Poland and the Baltic states which were part of the erstwhile Soviet Union.
Lavrov also called on Blinken to not ‘replicate speculation about the allegedly impending ‘Russian aggression’. Earlier on Tuesday, Lavrov met Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, with whom he shared similar concerns, asking Berlin to not paint Russia as the aggressor. “The Russian side stressed that Berlin’s attempts to portray Moscow as a party to the conflict are unacceptable,” Lavrov said, according to a press release by the Russian foreign ministry. Lavrov will meet Blinken on Friday and ahead of that meet Blinken will meet the Britain, France and Germany officials.
Read all the Latest News here
Comments
0 comment