Russia bins new Ukraine talks till West's response
Adding to the tensions, Russia and Ukraine's neighbour Belarus on Tuesday launched snap military exercises
A Russian troop train transporting military vehicles arriving for drills in Belarus on January 18, 2022 AFP
AFP
Publish : 18 Jan 2022, 11:28 PMUpdate : 18 Jan 2022, 11:28 PM
Moscow on Tuesday rejected fresh talks on Ukraine unless the West responds to its demands, as the US and Nato pushed for more negotiations to avert a possible Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbour.
With tens of thousands of Russian troops massing on Ukraine's borders, efforts have intensified to prevent a conflict and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was preparing to fly to Kyiv for talks on Wednesday.
Blinken's trip, which will also take him to Berlin for meetings with European allies, is the latest in a flurry of diplomacy to prevent the tensions over Ukraine from escalating into a new war in Europe.
Talks in Geneva, Brussels and Vienna last week failed to ease fears, with Russia insisting its demands for sweeping security guarantees -- including a permanent ban on Ukraine joining Nato -- be taken seriously.
In a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ahead of his trip, Blinken "stressed the importance of continuing a diplomatic path to de-escalate tensions," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
A readout from the Russian foreign ministry said Lavrov told Blinken that Moscow needs "concrete article-by-article" answers to its demands "as soon as possible."
He called on Blinken "not to replicate speculation about the allegedly impending 'Russian aggression'."
Earlier Lavrov said there would be no further negotiations until the West gives it proper answers.
"We are now awaiting responses to these proposals -- as we were promised -- in order to continue negotiations," he said at a joint press conference with visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
Washington has rejected the demands, which also include limits on allied deployments in former Warsaw Pact allies like Poland and the ex-Soviet Baltic states that joined Nato after the Cold War.
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg left the door open to more talks, saying he had invited Russia and Nato allies to a series of discussions in the Nato-Russia Council "in the near future."
The aim is to "address our concerns but also listen to Russia's concerns, and to try to find a way forward to prevent any military attack against Ukraine," Stoltenberg told a news conference in Berlin.
The State Department said Blinken would fly to Ukraine and meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, to "reinforce the United States' commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Belarus military drills
Blinken will head to Berlin on Thursday for four-way talks with Britain, France and Germany.
The four countries will discuss "joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine, including allies' and partners' readiness to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs on Russia," Price said in a statement.
According to respected Russian newspaper Kommersant, Blinken and Lavrov have also agreed to hold talks in Geneva on Friday.
Ukraine, the United States and European countries have all raised deep concerns over the Russian troop build-up, despite repeated denials from Moscow that an invasion is planned.
However, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday that the situation was "under control, so please don't panic."
Kyiv has been at war with pro-Moscow separatists in the east of the country since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine after demonstrations ousted a Kremlin-aligned leader.
Adding to the tensions, Russia and Ukraine's neighbour Belarus on Tuesday launched snap military exercises.
The Belarusian defence ministry said it was hosting the drills because of the continuing "aggravation" of military tensions "including at the western and southern borders of the Republic of Belarus."
Ukraine borders Belarus to the south and Nato member Poland to the west.
Neither Moscow nor Minsk has disclosed the number of troops involved, but a video published by the Belarusian defence ministry showed columns of military vehicles including tanks being unloaded from trains blanketed in snow.
Russia bins new Ukraine talks till West's response
Adding to the tensions, Russia and Ukraine's neighbour Belarus on Tuesday launched snap military exercises
Moscow on Tuesday rejected fresh talks on Ukraine unless the West responds to its demands, as the US and Nato pushed for more negotiations to avert a possible Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbour.
With tens of thousands of Russian troops massing on Ukraine's borders, efforts have intensified to prevent a conflict and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was preparing to fly to Kyiv for talks on Wednesday.
Blinken's trip, which will also take him to Berlin for meetings with European allies, is the latest in a flurry of diplomacy to prevent the tensions over Ukraine from escalating into a new war in Europe.
Talks in Geneva, Brussels and Vienna last week failed to ease fears, with Russia insisting its demands for sweeping security guarantees -- including a permanent ban on Ukraine joining Nato -- be taken seriously.
In a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ahead of his trip, Blinken "stressed the importance of continuing a diplomatic path to de-escalate tensions," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
A readout from the Russian foreign ministry said Lavrov told Blinken that Moscow needs "concrete article-by-article" answers to its demands "as soon as possible."
He called on Blinken "not to replicate speculation about the allegedly impending 'Russian aggression'."
Earlier Lavrov said there would be no further negotiations until the West gives it proper answers.
"We are now awaiting responses to these proposals -- as we were promised -- in order to continue negotiations," he said at a joint press conference with visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
Washington has rejected the demands, which also include limits on allied deployments in former Warsaw Pact allies like Poland and the ex-Soviet Baltic states that joined Nato after the Cold War.
Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg left the door open to more talks, saying he had invited Russia and Nato allies to a series of discussions in the Nato-Russia Council "in the near future."
The aim is to "address our concerns but also listen to Russia's concerns, and to try to find a way forward to prevent any military attack against Ukraine," Stoltenberg told a news conference in Berlin.
The State Department said Blinken would fly to Ukraine and meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, to "reinforce the United States' commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Belarus military drills
Blinken will head to Berlin on Thursday for four-way talks with Britain, France and Germany.
The four countries will discuss "joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine, including allies' and partners' readiness to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs on Russia," Price said in a statement.
According to respected Russian newspaper Kommersant, Blinken and Lavrov have also agreed to hold talks in Geneva on Friday.
Ukraine, the United States and European countries have all raised deep concerns over the Russian troop build-up, despite repeated denials from Moscow that an invasion is planned.
However, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday that the situation was "under control, so please don't panic."
Kyiv has been at war with pro-Moscow separatists in the east of the country since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine after demonstrations ousted a Kremlin-aligned leader.
Adding to the tensions, Russia and Ukraine's neighbour Belarus on Tuesday launched snap military exercises.
The Belarusian defence ministry said it was hosting the drills because of the continuing "aggravation" of military tensions "including at the western and southern borders of the Republic of Belarus."
Ukraine borders Belarus to the south and Nato member Poland to the west.
Neither Moscow nor Minsk has disclosed the number of troops involved, but a video published by the Belarusian defence ministry showed columns of military vehicles including tanks being unloaded from trains blanketed in snow.
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