During the first telephone call between the top diplomatic officials between the United States and Russia, the US secretary, Antony Blinken, pressed for Russia to withdraw the army from the border with Ukraine.
After the phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russia on Tuesday to begin the “immediate de-escalation” of tensions over Ukraine, according to a statement released by the US State Department. .
According to the statement, Blinken reiterated its willingness to continue the substantive dialogue with Moscow through diplomatic channels, but that another invasion of Ukraine “will be re responded with rapid and serious consequences”.
Blinken, according to the official note, stressed to Lavrov “the commitment of the United States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as the right of all countries to determine their foreign policy and alliances”.
For his part, Lavrov stated that Blinken recognized that there are reasons to discuss Russia’s security concerns, in the context of the crisis over Ukraine.