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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov this Friday in Switzerland to try to diplomatically resolve tensions over the Ukraine case. Western countries consider that there is an imminent threat of a Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory.
Antony Blinken and Sergei Lavrov decided on Tuesday, after a telephone conversation, that they needed to meet in person. They will travel to Geneva, Switzerland, this Friday to discuss the Ukraine case and try to reduce tensions between the United States and Russia.
Blinken will take advantage of his trip to Europe to reiterate his country’s “unwavering” commitment to protecting Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The US Secretary of State traveled to the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on Tuesday, where he will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba. He will then travel to Berlin on Thursday to meet German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, before finally arriving in Switzerland on Friday.
The United States accused Russia of deploying 100,000 troops to the Ukrainian border and preparing a fake attack on Russian troops in order to have an excuse to invade Ukraine. Russia denied the accusation of orchestrating a fake attack and asserted its right to deploy its troops wherever it wants on its own territory.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the situation is at a stage “where Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine at any time.” He added that Blinken’s purpose “is to make it very clear that there is a diplomatic way forward.” According to Psaki, it is up to Russia to decide whether to invade and then “suffer serious economic consequences”.
News in development
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