The negotiations in Geneva did not lead to a breakthrough, but neither did a breakdown.
Sergei Lavrov and Antony Blinken agreed to meet again, and that the United States before that time responds in writing to the extensive Russian list of demands and questions about new security guarantees.
But now the Russians are again strongly provoked. The reason is that they have discovered more press releases as the US State Department published on its website the night before the meeting in Geneva.
The so-called fact-sheets describe Russia’s years-long attempts to destabilize Ukraine, and accuse the Kremlin of systematically disinformation and falsifying history about the situation in the neighboring country.
– It is impossible to call this anything other than an open provocation, rages the Russian Foreign Ministry.
– SILENCE BEFORE THE STORM: Despite new harsh rhetoric from Moscow, life went on as usual in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Saturday night. Photo: Aage Aune / TV 2
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Takes out time
The Russians believe both the time of publication – just before the meeting in Geneva, and not least the content is provocative.
The United States has pledged to provide written answers to the Russian security document within the next week. But now Moscow suspects the Americans are running out of time.
– Instead of using this pause to concentrate on how to answer the Russian list of questions, the White House and its Western partners have launched an extremely toxic propaganda campaign, in which we are portrayed as an aggressor, a threat to European civilization , it is said in the unusually harsh the statement from Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday.
With that, both the tone and the level of tension between the great powers seem to be back at the same level as before the Geneva summit.
Evacuating embassy
Meanwhile, on the border with Ukraine, Russia continues its massive force building.
At least 127,000 Russian soldiers are now ready for battle. In addition, Russia is now starting a major military exercise in Belarus, just 100 km from the Ukrainian capital.
– NEW EXERCISE: A Russian storm tank arrives in Belarus, where the two countries are now kicking off a major military exercise. Photo: The Russian Ministry of Defense.
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USAs president Joe Biden on Thursday that he thinks Vladimir Putin will enter the neighboring country.
But in Kyiv, there is still hope that the worst will not happen.
– Despite the fact that Russia is still building up its forces on Ukraine’s borders, there is no preliminary indication that they have made the decision to attack. Therefore, we must now focus heavily on diplomacy. The longer the diplomatic talks, the better, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Friday afternoon.
CNN and several other media reported on Saturday that the American embassy in Kyiv may already next week start evacuating so-called non-essential personnel.
The US State Department is now also discouraging US citizens from traveling to Ukraine.
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