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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will try to defuse tensions with Moscow over Ukraine when he meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva this week after meeting with Ukrainian heads of state in Kiev and European officials in Berlin, Reuters reports.
Blinken’s diplomatic tour is scheduled amid concerns from Ukraine and its Western allies about the deployment of tens of thousands of Russian troops along the Russian-Ukrainian border, but as in previous days, official Moscow denies planning a military offensive against Ukraine, the British agency added.
“The United States does not want a conflict, we want peace,” a senior State Department official said of the hostility or crisis. Blinken will meet tomorrow with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleb, and then in Berlin with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and then with transatlantic partners – officials from Great Britain, France and Germany.
The US Secretary of State will hold talks on the topic of joint efforts to deter Russia from aggression against Ukraine and the determination of US allies and partners to impose severe economic sanctions on Russia and cause major negative consequences, the Department said. of State in a statement.
Following these meetings, Blinken is scheduled to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday in Geneva to make a diplomatic change from the current situation, a senior State Department official confirmed. Secretary Blinken spoke with Lavrov today and advocated de-escalation, after which the two diplomats agreed that it would be helpful for them to meet in person.
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