Blinken, Lavrov arrive in Geneva for security talks
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In light of strained relations between Moscow and Washington, Russia and the US top diplomats arrive in Geneva to discuss the Russian security guarantees proposals on NATO and Ukraine.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken greets Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Reykjavik, Iceland, May 19, 2021 (AP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Geneva for talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. The two will discuss security matters in Eastern Europe, a CNN correspondent reported Thursday.
Meanwhile, Russian media reported that the Russian top diplomat arrived in Geneva at 08:36 PM local time for the talks with his US counterpart.
Earlier, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Lavrov and Blinken would discuss security matters concerning Ukraine and NATO's plans to expand eastward, which Moscow sees as a national security threat.
Blinken had arrived Wednesday in Ukraine for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During the meeting, Blinken briefed the Ukrainian president on "our engagements with Russia last week and stressed there will be nothing about Ukraine, without Ukraine."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his visit, accused Russia of planning to reinforce the more than 100,000 troops the West is saying Russia deployed along the Ukrainian border. Blinken alleged that the number could double.
Russia is facing US-European allegations of a military buildup on its shared borders with Ukraine, and the two sides to the row held talks in Geneva to sort out their differences.
Russia has been demanding a written commitment that Ukraine would never be able to join NATO and that the alliance would not place any military equipment in certain countries in the region surrounding Russia.
NATO and the US were "reluctant" when it came to promising that Ukraine would not become party to the alliance, as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Despite the reluctance, Moscow asserted it was waiting for the alliance and Washington's written responses to its security proposals to make up its mind on the necessity of holding further meetings with the western allies.
