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Russian Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken despatched warnings to 1 one other at a safety convention in Sweden on Thursday. Whereas Mr Blinken spoke of “severe penalties” if Russia sought battle with Ukraine, Mr Lavrov cautioned in opposition to the presence of “American medium-range missiles” in Europe.
The talks come as Russia boosts its navy close to Ukraine’s border, the place Kyiv says Moscow has amassed greater than 90,000 troops.
Russia denies any intentions of attacking Ukraine and accuses the nation of its personal navy build-up.
Russia mentioned on Thursday it had arrested three suspected Ukrainian safety service brokers, one in all whom Russia’s Federal Safety Service accused of planning a terrorist assault.
In response to the company, the opposite two had been searching for to collect intelligence.
Earlier than the 2 leaders’ assembly on the convention of the Organisation for Safety and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Stockholm, Mr Lavrov advised to reporters he was prepared for dialogue with Kyiv.
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He mentioned: “We, as President Putin has said, don’t need any conflicts.”
Their sit down served as a possible bridge between the Putin-Biden summit in Geneva final June, the place they already mentioned the build-up of Russian troops close to Ukraine’s border, and a second summit quickly.
Mr Blinken mentioned: “I feel it’s seemingly the presidents will communicate straight within the close to future”.
Russia’s overseas ministry hoped a Putin-Biden summit would happen within the coming days however Interfax reported no date had been set.
Final month, Russia’s Nikolai Patrushev and the US’ Jake Sullivan held “high-level” safety talks in preparation for a gathering between US President Joe Biden and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Nevertheless, a date was not set then both.
At a joint information convention with Mr Lavrov, Mr Blinken urged Russia to tug again its forces, saying diplomacy was one of the best ways to exit the disaster.
He claimed: “The USA is prepared to facilitate that however… if Russia decides to pursue confrontation there will likely be severe penalties.”
Mr Lavrov mentioned: “The alliance’s navy infrastructure is being irresponsibly introduced nearer to Russia’s borders in Romania and Poland, deploying an anti-missile defence system that can be utilized as a strike advanced.
“American medium-range missiles are about to seem in Europe, bringing again the nightmare situation of a navy confrontation.”
After the joint information convention, Mr Blinken advised the media: “I made very clear our deep issues and our resolve to carry Russia chargeable for its actions, together with our dedication to work with European allies to impose extreme prices and penalties on Russia if it takes additional aggressive motion in opposition to Ukraine.
“It is now on Russia to de-escalate the present tensions by reversing the current troop buildup, returning forces to regular peacetime positions and refraining from additional intimidation and makes an attempt to destabilise Ukraine.”
Mr Lavrov warned as soon as extra: “We’re going to verify we’re heard however the principle factor is our safety.”
Touching once more upon the specter of the connection of Nato and Ukraine, he added: “So if Nato nonetheless refuses to debate this theme or the ensures or concepts put ahead by the president of Russia Vladimir Putin, after all we are going to take measures to make sure that our safety, our sovereignty and our territorial integrity doesn’t rely upon anybody else.”
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