Secretary of State Antony Blinken used his platform at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit to accuse Russia of having no interest in negotiations. Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow believes Washington is at fault for the frozen relationship.
In Bali, Indonesia, Blinken condemned Russia for having no interest in diplomacy. "The problem is this: We see no signs whatsoever that Russia at this moment in time is prepared to engage in meaningful diplomacy," he said.
The top American diplomat claimed several "other countries" have engaged with Russia in recent months, and all report Moscow is not prepared to seriously engage in talks to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Blinken did not specify what countries have spoken with Moscow.
Last month, Turkish officials offered to host talks aimed at allowing the grain to be shipped from Ukrainian ports. Moscow promised not to target any cargo ships carrying food products, while Kiev declined to engage in negotiations. Additionally, Lavrov said the Ukrainian negotiation team made a workable proposal in April, but Kiev later broke off talks.
Lavrov said the Kremlin’s position is that the West is responsible for the diplomatic freeze, and it was willing to engage when the US was ready. "It was not us that abandoned all contact. It was the United States." He added, "If they don’t want to talk, it’s their choice.
Blinken went on to say the White House believes Russia will only engage in negotiations after Western weapons transfers to Ukraine will force Moscow to the table and give Kiev the best hand possible. " I think our goal is clear, and you’ve heard the President speak to this at the G7, at the NATO summit, to make sure that we continue the support that we’ve been providing for Ukraine in terms of security assistance, humanitarian assistance, economic assistance." He continued, " It’s to make sure that we keep the pressure on Russia so that we incentivize to actually engage in meaningful diplomacy.’"
Lavrov said Blinken’s position is a recipe for a long war. "If the West doesn’t want talks to take place but wishes for Ukraine to defeat Russia on the battlefield – because both views have been expressed – then perhaps, there is nothing to talk about with the West," Lavrov said.
Blinken has not spoken with Lavrov since February 15. On Sunday, Vice President Kamala Harris said the Biden administration is attempting to secure the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russia. Griner pled guilty to a drug possession change and is facing up to ten years in a Russian prison. It’s unclear how the White House intends to get the Kremlin to release the basketball star without engaging with the Russian government.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
What must be done will be done. UK/U.S. had all the opportunity to put an end to this bloodshed.
Biden had a golden opportunity to be a diplomat last December. Blinken probably has a tape recorder slipped under Biden’s pillow each night, hammering away at his remaining brain cells.
The only chance for diplomacy with Putin is if Ukraine accepts to surrender all land to Russia and become another Belarus.
The pursuit of power (which is an illusion) eventually brings nations to the war they are trying to avoid. Their rulers are blind, do not see: they must share in the delusion that power is real.
https://patternofhistory.wordpress.com/
No diplomacy with Putin. I’m reposting what he really wants.
https://youtu.be/Eo6w5R6Uo8Y
No mention of the Coup instigated by the US then to bring down the Democratically Elected pro Russian Government , effectively the guaranteeing a military responce from Russia , if you are going to tell a story include the important facts
America stared this war Russia is wining why would Putin want to talk now , what the Americans want is a end to the war on their terms , not only that anything not occupied by Russia will immediately be occupied by the Americas proxies and then American forces missiles ect ect , this war will end when Putin say`s so and not until.
In another WWIII alarming article linked from antiwar, neocons want a US/UK fleet protecting Ukraine grain shipments via the Black Sea. That would be as big of a provocation as a “no fly zone over Ukraine.” Russia can’t rely on Erdogan to keep US/UK fleets from entering the Black Sea as a “humanitarian intervention.” Are we awake enough to realize the WWIII risk from sending a fleet to the Black Sea to threaten Russia?
Blinken: “you’ve heard the President speak to this at the G7,” Anything the President officially says has been dictated to him by the State Department.
Blinken trying to add gravitas to his statement by invoking a brain-addled President. Is that when Biden read the instructions to him on the HUGE PRINT teleprompter, such as END OF QUOTE. REPEAT STATEMENT? Ol’ Joe just attempts to read whatever they put in front of him and belongs in the Alzheimer’s wing of a Nursing Home.
Blinken, 7/9, Indonesia remarks (article link):
“we spent months before the Russian aggression working to address what Russia said were its concerns about Ukraine, the alleged concerns that NATO and/or Ukraine somehow posed a threat to Russia. We engaged directly with the Russians…..What became increasingly apparent is that this was never about security concerns that Russia professed to have, whether a threat from NATO or a threat from Ukraine.”
1) For 30 years, high level US State Department professionals have warned Russia would regard NATO expansion – above all into Ukraine – as a security threat and provocation; 2) for almost as long, Russia has protested and warned of the expansion; 3) ruling out NATO expansion into Ukraine was the main 12/21 Russian demand – and the US repeatedly and categorically ruled out this demand:
NYT, 1/26/22
“U.S. Offers ‘Diplomatic Path’ in Answer to Russian Demands”
Said Blinken, the US written response to Russia’s 12/21 demands – principally that it rule out future Ukraine NATO membership – “‘reiterates publicly what we’ve said for many weeks’”….Blinken said that the United States had not moved from its refusal to consider ruling out the possibility of future Ukrainian membership in NATO, as…Putin…has demanded. ”
Upshot: The US “engaged” with Russia on the Urkaine issue? Sure it did – to say absolutely no. It is blindingly apparent that the conflict was between the US and Russia over NATO in Ukraine – and that the US chose to engage in brinkmanship over it. Essentially, the US was fully prepared to go to war rather than rule out NATO membership.
But the Russians are contending with the master of the slam-dunk propaganda machine. Facts are nothing to these pomo practitioners. The Noble Lie if their god.