US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, which should have been there on Thursday 24 February to discuss the crisis between Ukraine and Russia. “Last week I agreed to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on February 24, to discuss our countries’ concerns about European security. But”the meeting would be held “only if Russia had not invaded Ukraine“explains Blinken.” The invasion is starting and Russia has made it clear its total rejection of diplomacy. It no longer makes sense to go on with the meeting at this point. I have consulted with our allies and partners. Everyone agrees. I sent a letter to Minister Lavrov to inform him, “Blinken said during the joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
The step backwards in a day, characterized by sanctions, adopted by the USA – as communicated by President Joe Biden – and by the EU. From Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin places conditions on Ukraine.
BIDEN – The President of the United States, Joe Biden, said that “Russia will pay a very high price“, announcing Washington’s sanctions against Russia that affect both banks and” elites and their families “.
“Yesterday Vladimir Putin recognized two regions of Ukraine – Donetsk and Lugansk – as independent states. Put simply, Russia announced that it is taking a big chunk of Ukraine. Putin authorized the Russian military to take sides in these. regions. Today, he said these regions extend beyond the two areas he recognized, claiming large areas currently under the authority of the Ukrainian government, “Biden said.
“This is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. We believe that Russia wants to go further, I hope I am wrong. It may even march towards Kiev. I will begin to impose sanctions in response, well beyond the steps we take with ours. allies and partners we have undertaken in 2014. If Russia goes further with its invasion, we are ready to go ahead with the sanctions. a neighboring state? It is a clear violation of international law and requires a clear response from the international community “.
The president of the United States believes that “nothing in Putin’s long speech” given yesterday “indicates interest in the real pursuit of dialogue on European security. He has directly attacked Ukraine’s right to exist and has indirectly threatened territories that have belonged to the Russia, including nations that are now democracies and NATO members. I have decided to strengthen the alliance with Baltic countries. Russia has admitted that it will not withdraw its military from Belarus, in response I have authorized further transfers of troops and equipment already present in Europe to strengthen our Baltic allies: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. These are all defensive movements on our part. We do not want to fight against Russia but we will defend every NATO territory “, he continues. Putin “has explicitly threatened war unless his requests are granted. Russia is the aggressor in this affair”.
“The United States, with allies and partners, remains available” to reach a solution “with diplomacy if the intentions are serious. In the end, we will judge Russia for its actions and not for its words. Whatever Russia does , we are ready to respond with unity, clarity, conviction. We are not only defending Ukraine, but we are united in countering the aggression of Russia. We want to defend our NATO alliance united “.
PUTIN – “If Ukraine acquires tactical nuclear weapons, it will be a strategic threat to Russia“Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference in Moscow.” Ukraine had, in its Soviet past, very extensive nuclear skills, in terms of reactors, technology, knowledge, specialists. It would be very easy to acquire nuclear weapons compared to countries that have to start from scratch. “Putin’s three requests to Ukraine, in what appeared to be an ultimatum: the government of Kiev should withdraw its request for NATO membership, demilitarize the country and recognize the annexation of Crimea to Russia.
Russia, Putin said, has recognized the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions according to the borders provided “when they were part of Ukraine”. This means that Moscow has recognized a much larger territory than that occupied, since 2014, by the People’s Republics. “We recognize their constitution. And in the constitutions, the borders are defined within the borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, at the time they were part of Ukraine,” Putin said.
The president dwelt on the prospect of a nuclear-armed Ukraine. “They can’t enrich uranium. But it’s just a matter of hardware, it’s not a problem they can’t solve. As for the delivery systems for these potential nuclear weapons, they have old Soviet missiles that can hit targets a hundreds of miles away, “Putin said.
“And even if Ukraine will equip itself with tactical nuclear weapons, it will be a strategic threat to Russia. And that’s what we consider now. Once you have a range of one hundred kilometers, then you have two hundred kilometers, then you have it. 300. Moscow would be within range of a nuclear missile. That’s why we take this matter so seriously, “he added.
“I did not say that after this press conference we will see the presence of Russian forces in the republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk, Putin said after a new meeting – today as usual behind closed doors – of the Security Council. “It is impossible to predict scenarios, it will depend on the situation on the ground”.
BORRELL – The “sanctions will hurt Russia, very badly“This is what EU High Representative Josep Borrell said in Paris about the measures approved today by the EU against Moscow for recognizing the two secessionist Donbass republics. The sanctions, Borrell repeats, include inter alia. other “the limitation of the access of the Russian sovereign debt to our financial markets”, measures that will hit “the oligarchs” and the Russian deputies of the Duma who voted for the recognition of the two entities, among other things.
We will increase sanctions “against Russia” substantially, depending on Moscow’s behavior “, as there are still” many pending questions “about the Kremlin’s future moves.
“It is clear that the sanctions do not have miraculous effects, they hurt and cost money. We think the story is not over. The sanctions are not like a red light. They hurt economically.” “We preferred to keep some deterrence capabilities – he adds – to respond to new actions by Russia and we are very afraid that there will be. There is an arsenal, we must follow events”, she explains. We “think” that the approved package represents a “good balance” between the need for a “strong package” and the need for “spare ammunition”.
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