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STATE DEPARTMENT PHOTO“We stand united with Ukraine and urge Russia to take the path of de-escalation,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
As tensions continued, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, urged Americans Wednesday to evacuate from the country.
The advisory was similar to one that the State Department issued Monday.
Wednesday’s advisory came on the same day that the U.S. and NATO delivered its written responses to Russian demands.
In its statement Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy said, “The security situation in Ukraine continues to be unpredictable due to the increased threat of Russian military action and can deteriorate with little notice. The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens in Ukraine to consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options.”
In a tweet Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “We stand united with Ukraine and urge Russia to take the path of de-escalation. Our delivery of defensive security assistance to Ukraine today will bolster Ukraine’s defenses in the face of Russian aggression.”
On Tuesday, the third shipment of U.S. lethal aid, including grenade launchers and Javelin anti-tank missiles, arrived in Kyiv, as part of a $200 million package.
“We have no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine. But we — as I said, there are going to be serious economic consequences if he moves,” President Joe Biden said Tuesday, referring to the possibility of a Russian invasion.
CNN reported that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday said, “The number of Russian troops amassed along the border of Ukraine and in occupied territories is large. It poses a threat … However, as we speak, this number is insufficient for a full-scale offensive along the entire Ukrainian border.
“They also lack some important military indicators and systems to conduct such a large full-scale offensive,” Mr. Kuleba said. “We can say 100 times a day that invasion is imminent, but this doesn’t change the situation on the ground.”
The U.S. and NATO held separate press conferences Wednesday on their responses to Russia’s demands for security guarantees in Eastern Europe and formerly Soviet-occupied territory.
“U.S. Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan had delivered Washington’s responses to these demands to the Russian Foreign Ministry earlier Wednesday evening” (Moscow time), reported the Moscow Times, an independent newspaper in Russia.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Secretary Blinken said the U.S. would not make its responses public but believed that diplomacy was the best path for success.
“We make clear that there are core principles that we are committed to uphold and defend, including Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the right of states to choose their own security arrangements and alliances,” Sen. Blinken said.
Mr. Blinken said that the U.S. has laid out a “serious diplomatic path” and indicated that Ukraine can choose its own allies and that Russia can choose to resolve the face-off.
“We will uphold the principle of NATO’s open door,” Mr. Blinken said. “This is a commitment that we are bound to…”
The secretary referred to the written responses that the U.S. sent to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“What we do in this document… is lay out areas where we believe we can advance security together,” said Mr. Blinken.
He explained those areas include arms control, greater transparency and risk reduction measures.
Secretary Blinken indicated that the U.S. had put all their cards on the table in regards to sanctions if Russia decides to invade Ukraine.
NATO had also delivered its own written proposal to a Russian diplomat responding to Moscow’s demands.
“The documents are with them. The ball is in their court,” Mr. Blinken said.
During another press conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted, “It’s no secret that we are far apart, and that there are serious differences between NATO and Russia.”
Mr. Stoltenberg emphasized the importance of Russia looking at NATO’s proposal from a perspective of reciprocity.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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