Secretary of State Antony Blinken greets Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov before their meeting, Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)
Antony Blinken, Sergey Lavrov
GENEVA (AP) — The United States and Russia are trying to avert another devastating conflict in Europe. But the two powers’ top diplomats warned Friday that no breakthrough was imminent as fears rise that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine.
Armed with seemingly intractable and diametrically opposed demands, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Geneva.
With an estimated 100,000 Russian troops massed near Ukraine, many fear Moscow is preparing an invasion although Russia denies that. The U.S. and its allies are scrambling to present a united front to prevent that or coordinate a tough response if they can’t.
Pres. Joe Biden has warned Russia of sanctions should Moscow invade Ukraine.
Ukraine officially declared itself an independent country on 24 August 1991. The communist Supreme Soviet Parliament of Ukraine proclaimed that Ukraine would no longer follow the laws of USSR and instead only the laws of the Ukrainian SSR, de facto declaring Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union.
Russia fears increased influence of the West should Ukraine opt to join NATO.
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