US Secretary of State Meets with Russian Foreign Minister in Geneva Will Ukraine’s ‘diplomatic solution’ ignite the fire?

US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva, Switzerland on the 21st (local time) as the last trip to Europe this week, The New York Times reported on the 18th (local time). Even after the breakdown of talks between Russia and NATO last week, it is interpreted as an intention to revive the spark of a diplomatic solution by keeping a dialogue channel open to counter the threat of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Tensions between the US and Russia are expected to continue for some time, however, as Russia warns that it may invade Ukraine at any time and considers sanctions against Ukraine’s pro-Russian figures.

According to reports, US Secretary of State Blincoln spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on the 18th before leaving for Kiev, Ukraine. “Russian Minister Lavrov has urged not to repeat the speculation that a Russian aggression is imminent,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “Secretary Lavrov said that it was entirely up to the Ukrainian government to ease military tensions in Ukraine,” he said. requested,” he said. The US State Department and the White House did not comment on the details of the call or the specific agenda for the meeting on the 21st.

The White House said at a briefing on the same day that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a risky situation at any time in relation to the situation in Ukraine, and that “there are no options off the table,” including blocking international payments networks. Blocking the international payment network is a representative economic sanctions that the US has been talking about if Russia invades Ukraine. The day before, a German media reported that the plan was no longer being considered, citing an anonymous German government official, but denied it and confirmed that the sanctions were still being considered. “It is up to Putin and Russia to face serious economic consequences,” Saki said.

NATO has once again expressed its vigilance over the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on the same day that “there is a real risk of a new military conflict in Europe.” pointed out that it is in Crimea, annexed by Russia. “The safety of nearly a billion people living in Ukraine and its allies is at stake,” he said.

The diplomatic channels between the US and Russia are still alive, but the US pressure on Russia through solidarity with European allies and economic sanctions is expected to continue for the time being. “The diplomatic path lies ahead and it is up to Russia to decide which path to take,” White House press secretary Saki said at a press briefing.

Before meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei, US Secretary of State Blincoln met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine on the 18th to discuss countermeasures against the threat of a Russian invasion, and then went to Berlin, Germany, for foreign affairs of the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Ministers and others will attend the so-called ‘transatlantic quad’ meeting. “The purpose of Secretary Blincoln’s visit is to strengthen the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to ensure a united response to Russia,” the State Department said in a statement.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had not revealed his position on sanctions against Russia, joined the pressure on Russia on the same day, saying that if Russia invades Ukraine, all options, including the cessation of Nordstream 2, a gas pipeline project that directly connects the two countries, will be discussed. Northstream 2 is currently in the final stage of construction, and only the German government’s environmental impact assessment remains. Russia is trying to increase its influence in Europe by increasing European countries’ dependence on Russia for energy through this project.

There are also reports that the US is preparing sanctions against pro-Russian figures. The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. government is preparing to freeze the assets of at least four pro-Russian Ukrainians, citing multiple government sources. “The United States has been trying to undermine Russia’s attempts to destabilize Ukraine by exposing attempts to spread disinformation in the interests of Russia,” a government source said. “We’ve been doing the basics of manipulating excuses for an invasion, such as carrying out intelligence operations to exert influence,” he said. Rachel Zemba, a senior researcher at the Center for New American Security (CNAS), a think tank in the US, analyzed that the US government is expressing concern about the situation in which diplomatic progress is not made through circumvention of sanctions while maintaining the broad consistency of its diplomatic approach.