Presiden AS Joe Biden. Foto/Japantimes
“We have long known about Russia’s actions (on Ukraine) and my hope is that we will have a long discussion with Putin,” Biden said on Friday night as he left for Camp David.
“I don’t accept anyone’s red line,” the president added, clearly referring to a position Moscow reaffirmed earlier this week when several Western publications suggested a military stand-off in Ukraine was imminent. Russia Today, Saturday (4/12/2021).
Earlier on Thursday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry again claimed NATO had given assurances that it would not move “an inch” further east by the end of the Cold War. Despite that promise, it has continued to expand, including new member states moving closer to Russia’s borders, with Ukraine repeatedly expressing interest in joining the bloc in recent years.
Also read: Ukraine: Russia May Launch Major Offensive in January
The ministry stressed that the only option to resolve the current situation is for NATO to rule out further such expansion and halt the ongoing military build-up at Moscow’s doorstep.
Last month, the Biden administration warned European officials that Russia could consider an invasion of eastern Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Antony Blinken threatening serious consequences in the event of aggression.
Moscow has dismissed the predictions as unfounded, but has voiced concerns about the internal conflict erupting in war-torn Ukraine’s Donbass. Russia accuses the West of “pushing” Ukraine to start an armed conflict by moving NATO military equipment closer to the border.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also claimed Ukrainian troops had used US-made rockets as they battled separatists in the east of the country, arguing that alleged US aid only increased the chances of a full-blown civil war.
Also read: US Defense Secretary Calls for International Response If Russia Attacks Ukraine
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