Ukraine conflict: Russia awaits written responses from the United States to its demands

Anthony Blinken US Secretary of State and Sergey Lavrov The Russian foreign minister met in Geneva on Friday to discuss tensions over Ukraine in person. The AP . Report According to what the two superpowers said at the meeting, they tried to lower the temperature of the conflict, despite the fact that neither side expected a breakthrough from the meeting.

We didn’t expect any major breakthroughs today, but I think we are now on a clearer path to understanding each other’s positions.

Blinken told reporters after the meeting.

While Sergei Lavrov described the talks as constructive and useful, he also said the United States had agreed to respond in writing next week to Russia’s demands for Ukraine and the country’s possible earlier entry into NATO. All of this, if nothing else, would probably be useful to put off an escalation of tension for a few days, which can be feared.

I can’t tell if we’re on the right track or not. This will become clear when we receive a written response from the United States to all of our suggestions

– He spoke to journalists, Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister.

Moscow’s demands have always been clear. NATO is expected to ensure that Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, will not join any Western military alliance. The Russians also want NATO to withdraw its forces and military assets from parts of Eastern Europe.

The United States and NATO previously strongly rejected these demands because they concluded that the Russian side was thinking of restoring the Soviet empire, which meant that it wanted to expand its sphere of influence in the Eastern European region by force and intimidation. Events in Ukraine in 2014, including the occupation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, may already make that sense to an unsuspecting observer, but the Russians deny it. The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected this view and accused its opponents that the West is the one who thinks about its areas of influence.

Washington and its NATO allies have repeatedly warned the Russian side of dire consequences in the event of military aggression. However, these expected consequences could be more severe economic sanctions rather than direct military action. It is estimated that there are currently about a hundred thousand Russian soldiers stationed near Ukraine, and many fear that Moscow is preparing for an invasion, although Russia denies this. The United States and its allies are currently working to demonstrate unity, thus preventing any potential Russian military aggression.