Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a statement on Monday evening that he will meet with son American counterpart Antony Blinken on Thusday.
The meeting in which Ukrainian tensions will be at the top of the agenda place in Geneva of Switzerland, according to Lavrov.
On Sunday, Blinken said everything that happened on ground in Ukraine, including Russia announcement of extension of son military exercises near the border, suggests that “Moscow is on the edge of invade Ukraine.”
Speaking on CNN broadcaster status of the Union showBlinken, however, added that the United States was engaged until last minute to using every opportunity to see if diplomacy can dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from moving forward with a invasion.
“… Everything we see suggests that it is dead serious, that we are on the edge of a invasion.”
“But until tanks actually roll and planes fly, we will use every opportunity and every minute, we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from wearing this forward”Blinken said.
Russia extended military exercises near Ukraine’s northern borders on Sunday amid heightened fears that two days of sustained shelling along the line of contact between soldiers and Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could trigger a invasion. Ukrainian President appealed for a ceasefirefire.
The exercises were originally set to finish on Sunday and brought a large contingent of Russian forces in Belarus. The presence of Russian troops feared they would be used to sweep down on the Ukrainian capital, Kyivune city of about 3 millions people less than three hours drive a way.
Western leaders have warned that Russia is about to attack son neighbor, who is surrounded on three sides by about 150,000 Russian soldierswar planes and equipment. Russia held nuclear drills as well as conventional drills on Saturday in Belarus, and has ongoing naval exercises off the side in the black Sea.
The United States and many Europeans countries alleged for months that Russia is trying to create pretexts to invade. They threatened massive and immediate sanctions if that was the case.
