There is a lot at stake during the meeting between Blinken and Lavrov – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

The US Secretary of State delivered a somewhat somber speech on the Ukraine conflict during his visit to Berlin yesterday afternoon.

Anthony Blinken asserted that a divided Europe as it was during the Cold War could return if Russia attacked Ukraine.

Then the continent split in two, separated by a no-man’s-land where soldiers would patrol. The US Secretary of State said that the danger of war is high above everyone’s heads.

When he meets his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva today, it may be the last chance to avoid a dangerous confrontation.

Yesterday Blinken stressed that Russia should not be allowed to violate international law, international rules and agreements.

Blinkin put all responsibility for the Ukrainian conflict on Russia, and again indicated that the Russians would receive a strong response in the form of punitive measures in the event of an attack.

In Berlin, Blinken met colleagues from Germany, Great Britain and France. The goal was to show that the great Western countries stand shoulder to shoulder in this matter.

seen from Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Russia is not planning a military attack on Ukraine.

But he expressed grave concern that for decades, NATO had approached Russia’s borders. In response, he warned that Russia was studying “military technical measures”. What this means is not clear.

The Russian authorities indicate that they have withdrawn all their forces from the countries they formerly controlled in Eastern Europe.

They believe that Western leaders promised in the 1990s that NATO would not expand eastward.

But nothing was written down, and NATO received a number of countries that wanted guarantees for the return of the Russians.

Russian experts told NRK that the country’s authorities had reason to believe that NATO approached the border in the West. Putin’s main argument is that NATO bases in Ukraine could be equipped with missiles that would take only a few minutes to reach Moscow.

That is why Russia demands guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO.

very difficult conversations

Foreign Ministers Blinken and Lavrov are on different planets when they met in Geneva today.

Blinken will never be able to agree to Russia’s decision on which countries can join NATO.

Lavrov could hardly agree to the withdrawal of Russian forces located in southern Russia, near the border with Ukraine. The foreign minister said earlier that it is the Russians themselves who decide where they will exercise their forces on their territory.

According to Western leaders, there are about 100,000 Russian soldiers in this part of the country.

The Russians are demanding written security guarantees from the West. But Blinken said he did not bring any such documents to today’s meeting.

He will only find out if the Russians are willing to continue working towards a diplomatic solution.

In the past week, no progress has been made in the series of meetings. It’s hard to see what has changed since then.

major military escalation

President Putin’s spokesman urges other countries not to supply arms to Ukraine. He believes that this will lead to a more dangerous situation.

Recently, the United Kingdom sent aircraft shipments with missiles that can be used against tanks and other armored vehicles.

The United States has long been providing Ukrainians with similar weapons. The three Baltic states are also sending weapons to Ukraine now.

French soldiers are also expected to be stationed in Romania.

Fears of an attack on Ukraine will increase NATO’s presence near Russia’s borders.

If the Russians really attacked, the defensive alliance would likely send more weapons, equipment, and many more soldiers to Eastern Europe.

It is not easy to understand that Vladimir Putin would benefit from such a development.

But Blinken said today that it is very difficult to look at the head of the Russian president.