US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he would not bring a written response to the proposals for security guarantees to the upcoming meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. At the same time, he threatened to “cripple” the Russian economy in the event of an escalation in Ukraine.
“I will not present the paper at the moment to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. We need to see where we are and whether we still have opportunities for diplomacy and dialogue, which is certainly preferable,” Mr. Blinken said at a press conference in Kiev.
He added that if Russia shows aggression against Ukraine, “the United States, together with allies and partners, will force the Russian economy to pay a crippling price, reconsider NATO’s presence in allied countries and increase defense assistance to Ukraine beyond what was previously provided.”
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that contacts could be held in the coming days to discuss the responses of the United States and NATO to the draft documents proposed by Russia on security guarantees. At the same time, according to him, if the negotiations fail, the Russian leadership can protect the security of the country and the observance of the rights of its citizens.
About the negotiations between Mr. Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock on Ukraine – in the material “Kommersant”.