US ready to engage in diplomacy with Russia: Secretary Blinken

Europe, News, US March 6, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States is ready to engage in “meaningful diplomacy” with Russia if President Putin shows a willingness to engage in talks.

According to the U.S. Secretary of State, the prospects of dialogue entirely depends on Russia and President Putin. “If they show any signs of being willing to engage in meaningful diplomacy, of course, we’ll engage,” Blinken said.

“We look to our Ukrainian partners too. They are talking to the Russians, but that’s not producing anything,” Blinken added.

The delegations of Russia and Ukraine held the first round of dialogues in the Gomel region of Belarus on February 28. The head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky said that Moscow was prepared to hold talks with Ukraine until both sides reached agreements.

The second round of Russia-Ukraine talks took place in Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus on March 3. According to Medinsky, during the second round of talks, both sides managed to achieve significant progress and reached an agreement on humanitarian corridors for civilians.

*^{Russian and Ukrainian officials take part in the talks in Gomel, Belarus on February 28, 2022. (Image Credit: Sergei Kholodilin/BelTA/via Reuters)}*

Separately, the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told Russia’s Tass news agency in an interview that America does not want another Cold War with Russia and hopes that Moscow would listen to the opinions of other nations over the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

Nuland also said that Russia would suffer “a complete economic and technological isolation from the rest of the world” if it continues its military operation in Ukraine. The U.S. Under Secretary also stressed that the United States is ready “to talk about the vast majority of the issues Russia put on the table, everything from ensuring that we had deconfliction of military activities, reduction of military exercises.”

Victoria Nuland also pointed out during the interview that “The sanctions will end that if he [Russian President Putin] ends this war, and helps rebuild Ukraine and reestablishes peace and recognizes that country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and right to exist.”

*^{United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland. (Image Credit: EPA-EFE/Alex Brandon/Tass)}*

While responding to a question regarding the rise in anti-Russia sentiments in the U.S., Nuland said that the U.S. administration believes that “it is very important for us to have an embassy in Moscow, and for you [Russia] to have an embassy in Washington. We need more dialogue now, not less.”

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March 5 that Moscow and Washington remain in contact and Russia is “maintaining certain channels of a dialogue with the United States” amidst the ongoing geopolitical situation in the region.