15 minutes agoBlinken: Massive consequences for Russia if it invades Ukraine
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Wednesday, January 5th that Russia should drop pressure on Ukraine if it wants progress, as it reaffirmed a warning for “massive consequences” in the event of the invasion. Russia and the United States hold talks next week in Geneva after Moscow collected tens of thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border and [...]
Russia and the United States hold talks next week in Geneva after Moscow gathered tens of thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border and asked the West for guarantees against expanding the NATO alliance.
If the talks “will show real progress, this will require escalation”, Blinken said at a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbox.
Noting Russia's hopes for progress in areas such as gun control, Blinken said that “is very difficult to make actual progress in any of these areas in an atmosphere of escalation and threat with a weapon directed by Ukraine's head”.
“Russia should have no doubt that further military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences and serious costs in response”, Blinken said.
Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, making her first visit to Washington since taking office, agreed with the need for “grave consequences” if Russia attacks Ukraine.
The United States and Germany have been at odds for years over the <x0-Nord Stream 2” pipeline project, which will open and send Russian gas directly to Europe's largest economy.
“From our perspective, it is very difficult to see the gas flowing through that pipeline become operational, if Russia continues its aggression”, said Secretary Blinken, the AFP agency.
Even though it produced criticism in the country, President Joe Biden's administration has refused to impose sanctions on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, saying it was practically complete.
But the American administration last year reached an agreement in which Germany promised assistance to Ukraine and warned Russia against using the gas pipeline for geopolitical advantages.
Germany's Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbox, asked if Germany was ready to cancel the pipeline, said only that the new government backed last year's deal with the United States.
The new government “agreed that we take effective measures together with our European partners if Russia uses energy as weapons,” she said.
