As Russia continues to mass troops and military equipment near Ukraine's borders, including now in allied Belarus, the U.S. and European countries have become increasingly concerned the Kremlin may be preparing to launch an attack on Ukraine.
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to Ukraine, Germany, and Switzerland this week - a sign"perhaps that diplomacy is not dead," a senior State Department official said Tuesday.
Before sitting down with Lavrov, Blinken will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in his second visit to Kyiv as secretary - one week after CIA Director Bill Burns visited - and travel to Berlin for a summit with his German, French, and British counterparts.
Rather than tensions defusing, the threat of conflict seems to be rising, engineered by Russian moves. The Kremlin has begun moving troops into Belarus, Ukraine's neighbor to the north, for military exercises next month, including troops from its far east, Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed Tuesday, saying the exercises were designed to prepare Russian and Belarusian forces to"thwart and repel a foreign aggression.
The bold accusation seems to be a sign of deep U.S. concern that Putin is making another power move here - this time to deepen his influence in Belarus. "It is still too early to tell if the Russian government is genuinely interested in diplomacy, if it is prepared to negotiate seriously in good faith, or whether it will use discussions as a pretext to claim that diplomacy didn't address Moscow's interest. I just can't judge that now, but I do understand the desire on our side to test that hypothesis," the first senior State Department official said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Blinken to visit Ukraine as US-Russia tensions escalate | AP NewsSecretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Ukraine this week as tensions between the U.S. and Russia escalate over a possible Russian invasion of its neighbor. The State Department says Blinken will travel to Kyiv on Tuesday.
Read more »
Blinken to visit Ukraine as U.S.-Russia tensions escalateSec. Blinken will visit Ukraine this week and meet with President Zelenskyy as tensions between the U.S. and Russia escalate over a possible Russian invasion of its neighbor, the State Dept. says.
Read more »
U.S.'s Blinken to visit Ukraine following Russia talksU.S. President Joe Biden's top diplomat will visit Kyiv this week after talks with Russia ended in a stalemate last week amid concerns in Washington that Moscow is preparing to invade Ukraine.
Read more »
US warns Russia could attack Ukraine 'at any point'US increases its threat assessment of a potentially imminent Russian attack against Ukraine as diplomatic efforts to dissuade Moscow from attacking its pro-Western neighbour falter
Read more »
US to sanction pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine as Blinken visits: reportThe US is set to levy financial sanctions on pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine as tensions grow between Washington and Moscow — with Secretary of State Antony Blinken due to meet his Russian…
Read more »
US boosts military aid to Ukraine as Russia tensions soar | AP NewsKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Ukraine, the Biden administration said Wednesday it’s providing an additional $200 million in defensive military aid to the country amid soaring fears of a Russian invasion.
Read more »