Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that it would be hard to make progress with Russia during upcoming security talks as long as a “gun is pointed to Ukraine’s head.”
Russia denies US accusations that it is planning an invasion of Ukraine and points to US and NATO activity in the region as the source of tensions. The US and Russia are set to hold talks on the Ukraine situation and other issues on January 10th in Geneva.
“I think if they’re going to bear fruit, if they’re going to show real progress, that will require de-escalation,” Blinken said of the upcoming talks. “It’s very hard to make actual progress in any of these areas in an atmosphere of escalation and threat with a gun pointed to Ukraine’s head.”
Blinken made the comments alongside German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who warned at the same press conference that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would have “severe consequences.” The US has been coordinating closely with its European allies ahead of the negotiations with Russia to present a united front.
While Baerbock warned of “severe consequences,” the Western powers have stopped short of threatening military action if Russia invades. The US has threatened major sanctions against Moscow that would aim to isolate Russia from the global financial system, which Russian President Vladimir Putin warned against during a recent call with President Biden.
Among other things, Russia wants guarantees from the US that NATO won’t expand further eastward. Since 2014, the US and NATO have significantly increased their presence in the Black Sea and other areas near Russia, and Moscow is getting tired of the Western provocations.
Other issues are expected to be discussed, including arms control. After the US-Russia talks on January 10th, NATO will hold a meeting with Russia at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. On January 13th, the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe will meet.
As I mentioned in a response to a previous article, Blinken is signaling that the US is going to try to throw a load of nonsense in these talks, bringing in topics like cybersecurity and “election tampering”. If that happens, the talks will collapse almost instantly. Russia is focused on one thing: no more NATO expansion and a roll-back of existing NATO military assets in the form Soviet bloc countries. The US isn’t even remotely interested in discussing those demands, as Blinken clearly shows.
He also claimed that Russia has to “de-escalate” before serious talks can begin. Since Russia isn’t the one “escalating” in the first place (there is only a bogus “build up of Russian forces” which the US made up), this is another sign that the US isn’t remotely serious going into these talks.
He’s a liberal warmonger!
Warmonger, yes. Liberal, no. That would be like saying Lindsey Graham is conservative.
Liberal? Whatever that means! He is an empire spokesperson who executes shadow powers orders. Does it matter what clothes these people put on to virtue signal to soft-brained populace? He can be a drag queen one day, or don a cowboy hat the next day — his imperial orders do not change.
This is what we essentially have in our politicians — actors in costumes. Acting out their “conservative”, “progressive” or “liberal” roles for the benefit of brainwashed — but with only occasdional tactical exceptions, support the policies of empire. Notice how occassionaly some come up with an anti-imperial motions, just to have them resoundly crushed? Is there a purpose to the show? Of course there is! It elevates some politicians into mavericks giving us hope in the system. But also to show the hopelessnesd of such romanticism.
Blinken will do what he has to do. Russia will do what it has to do. US must remive the guns aiming at Russia — someone will break a stalemate.
blinken and his club of neo-conn will keep moving the goal post. The Russian know that and also that Amerika will not keep it’s agreement.
Tony should know about guns pointed at other’s head.
Guns pointing at other heads has never been our concern. Back in’62 we didn’t understand that putting missiles in Turkey was perceived as a threat by the Soviets until they responded by putting missiles in Cuba. Maybe the Russians need to move a few missiles back to Cuba, just to get our attention. I would hope not, but it worked back then.
He wants an invasion.
Russia might well give him more than he wanted or expected.
They’d be fools to do it the American way, poking at it in tiny increments. That is not the Russian way anyway.
I expect Ukraine to be over run, the government arrested except those who run fast enough, and millions of hostile refugees to flee into the EU. Then it will be more like Crimea, the people left happy to be working with the Russians.
Good job Blinken.
I am always struck by the short-term view of US strategists. They only thought about sanctions and now they only have two options: Either they promise not to integrate Ukraine in NATO, showing the whole world their weakness, or Russia will take care of showing it.
NATO keeps pissing in everyones Cheerios.
Talking is good but what is needed are concrete results that reduce tensions and allows all sides to constructively move forward.
With everything else going on we don’t need anything else to escalate…