On January 21, local time, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov will meet with US Secretary of State Blinken in Geneva. According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, sources revealed that the talks will last for several hours, and the two sides will discuss the security guarantee agreement between Russia and NATO.
At the end of 2021, Russia unveiled the draft agreement, and Moscow's concerns included requiring Western countries to make legally binding pledges to abandon plans for further NATO expansion to the east, Ukraine's accession to NATO, and the establishment of military bases in the former Soviet republics.
Recently, around the topic of the United States and other Western countries accusing "Russia of chenbing the Russian-Ukrainian border", russia-NATO relations continue to be tense. The Russian side has repeatedly and explicitly denied planning to launch an attack, and the country's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said on the 20th that Western countries covered up their own "military provocative actions" with rumors that "Russia is about to invade Ukraine".
However, the United States and Europe are obviously not monolithic. The governor of Chang'an Avenue (WeChat ID: Capitalnews) noted that on the eve of the us-Russian foreign ministers' meeting, the United States and Ukraine first rubbed out gunpowder because of a sentence from US President Biden.
Biden Infographic
On Wednesday, local time, Biden said at a press conference that Russia's "small-scale invasion" of Ukraine may not trigger a harsh response from NATO. "If it's just a 'small-scale invasion,' we have to argue about 'what to do' and 'what not to do.'"
The phrase "small-scale invasion" blew up the pot on all sides. Ukrainian President Zelens lashed out at Biden on social media, saying: "We want to remind some big countries that there are no 'small invasions' and 'small countries'. Just like the loss of a loved one without minor casualties and small grief. I say so as the president of a big country. ”
Zelenskiy social media screenshots
The White House is also anxious about the storm caused by Biden's remarks. Governor Chang'an Avenue (WeChat ID: Capitalnews) noted that from Wednesday to Thursday, from email statements to speeches, U.S. officials scrambled to help Biden clarify the U.S. position.
White House press spokesman Psaki said: "If any army crosses the border, it is an invasion." U.S. Vice President Harris also said Russia's actions would trigger a response, regardless of size.
Foreign media analysis said that on the one hand, the United States bridged the differences between its allies and appeased all parties by suppressing the Ukrainian opposition, on the other hand, NATO has taken military action.
Zakharova infographic
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova noted that "in the past few months alone, the United States has shipped 30 Sets of Javelin anti-tank missile systems and 180 missiles to Ukraine." The media previously reported that the US side is scheduled to provide another batch of arms worth $20 million to the Ukrainian side this month.
Zakharova said Western countries covered up their own "military provocations" with rumors that "Russia is about to invade Ukraine." The Russian side urges Western countries to stop taking hostile offensives against Russia and stop recruiting Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and inciting "militarization of Ukraine."