Ahead of a series of key negotiations over the situation in Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Russia to de-escalate. “It is difficult to make progress in an atmosphere of escalation and with a gun to Ukraine’s head,” Blinken told CNN. The minister also warned that Russia faces the choice between dialogue and confrontation.
“If we want to make real progress, we need to see de-escalation,” said Blinken. Diplomatic consultations on the situation in Ukraine are in full swing. On Monday, negotiations between representatives of Russia and the United States will take place in the Swiss city of Geneva. A NATO-Russia Council will be held in Brussels on Wednesday and further consultations are planned within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna a day later.
In the conversation with CNN, however, Blinken showed that the expectations are not very high. “I don’t believe we will see any kind of breakthrough in the coming week. We will be able to put things on the table. The Russians will be able to do the same, both directly with us, with NATO and with the OSCE,” it said.
Blinken further threatened with “tremendous consequences if Russia resumes aggression against Ukraine”. He and other US officials accuse the Kremlin of being aggressive towards Kiev and preparing an eventual attack with massive troops along the Ukrainian border. Russia denies that.
Principle of reciprocity
“We will listen to Russia’s concerns. They will have to listen to ours. If done in good faith, we believe we can make progress in addressing the concerns of both sides,” said Blinken.
The principle of reciprocity will be important in the negotiations, according to the American secretary. Every step the US and Europe take must be met with a Russian step, he continued. Blinken also emphasized that a withdrawal of US troops from Eastern Europe and a commitment not to expand NATO further are not negotiable for Washington.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov heads the Russian delegation in Geneva. He said that he is not going to beg, but wants to achieve stated goals.
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