US cancels talks with Russia following DPR, LPR recognition
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The United States took a step to end talks with Russia by canceling a pre-planned meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
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The US cancels talks with Russia.
The US has canceled a meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov scheduled for Thursday in Geneva, citing an alleged Russian "invasion" of Ukraine through the recognition of two regions, according to the US.
“Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time,” Blinken said on Tuesday, in a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba at Foggy Bottom.
Russia had proposed the Lavrov-Blinken meeting last Wednesday, and the US accepted on Friday. However, the acceptance was conditional on Moscow not “invading” Ukraine – something the US claims has now happened.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Donetsk and Lugansk as independent republics, accusing Kiev of failing to meet its duties under the Minsk agreements, which include providing the two provinces autonomy.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden announced the first round of economic sanctions against Russia on Tuesday.
The first round of sanctions on Russia announced target VEB Development Bank, Promsvyazbank Public Joint Stock Company (PSB), and 42 of their subsidiaries, as well as Russia's sovereign debt and Russian "elites and their families."
Biden also stated that he worked with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to ensure that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which would have transported liquefied natural gas from Russia to Germany, would be halted.
