Moscow says still ready for Ukraine talks with Blinken

MOSCOW – Moscow said today Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is still ready for talks with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine’s two separatist regions.

“Even during the most difficult moments... we say: we are ready for negotiations,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in remarks aired on YouTube.

“We are always in favour of diplomacy,” she told the Soloviev Live YouTube show.

She spoke after Putin recognised the independence of the former Soviet state’s separatist-held Donetsk and Lugansk regions paving the way for the deployment of a potential invasion force.

Lavrov had said yesterday that he is set to meet with Blinken on Thursday in Geneva to address soaring tensions over Ukraine.

Moscow’s move triggered international condemnation and a promise of targeted sanctions from the United States and the European Union. – AFP, February 22, 2022