Topline
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the U.S. laid out a clear path toward diplomatic resolution for Russia in its private response to Russia’s list of demands over tensions at the Ukraine border, though Blinken said the U.S. will not budge on Russia’s top request.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks about Russia and Ukraine during a briefing at the State … [+]
POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
The American written response—which was not released to the public—“sets out a serious diplomatic path forward, should Russia choose it,” Blinken said during a Wednesday afternoon press briefing.
However, the U.S. won’t agree to Russia’s chief demand of preventing Ukraine from joining NATO, Blinken said, and the U.S. will support NATO’s “open door” policy, which ensures all European sovereign nations, including Ukraine, are able to join the military alliance should they desire to.
Blinken said the responses were “fully coordinated” with Ukraine and the U.S.’s European allies.
The Russian Foreign Ministry acknowledged Wednesday that John Sullivan, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, hand delivered the American response to Moscow.
Key Background
Blinken met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week in Geneva, where Russia delivered its list of demands. Fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine escalated Wednesday as Russia performed a series of military drills nationwide, including near the Ukraine border, where more than 125,000 Russian troops are believed to be stationed. The U.S. is one of several NATO countries considering deploying thousands of more troops in Eastern European countries near Ukraine, CNN reported Wednesday. Russia has long tried to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO, as the military alliance would then be obligated to defend Ukraine from Russia.
Tangent
NATO delivered its own set of written responses to Russian demands Wednesday, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a press conference, emphasizing NATO seeks a resolution achieved through “dialogue and diplomacy.”
Further Reading
U.S. Preps Over 8,000 Troops For Possible Deployment To Aid Ukraine, Pentagon Says (Forbes)
Putin Wouldn’t Be Hurt By Personal Sanctions Suggested By Biden, Russia Says (Forbes)
Biden Says ‘No Intention’ To Deploy U.S. Troops In Ukraine– Here’s What The U.S. Is Prepared To Do Instead (Forbes)
Russia Carries Out Military Drills Ahead Of Talks As Biden Warns U.S. Could Sanction Putin Personally (Forbes)
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