Blinken Facing A Hard Time Pacifying The Statements Made By Biden
Antony Blinken, US secretary of State planned three things to do on his way to Europe. Firstly he wanted to make sure Ukraine that the US would support them in the Russian Military invades their land. And the US allies would join as well to this cause if needed.
And secondly, he wanted to sit down with his Russian counterpart to work on a diplomatic approach towards this situation. Just to convey the fact that the US is still hoping for a diplomatic solution to this problem.
The trip was planned and arranged in a hurry so the US officials had only two days’ notice to prepare and arrange meetings with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and the foreign Secretary Dmytro Kuleba, also including the US stuffs at the US embassy.
Throughout the journey Blinken conveyed the fact that the US will stand with Ukraine, loud and clear. He also said by the end of the first day, that Russia has to choose either to go with ‘Diplomacy and Dialogue’ or ‘conflict and consequences’. He also added that the US is making progress.
During midnight of local time, Joe Biden said ‘It is going to be a disaster for Russia if they further invade Ukraine’ in a press two hours-long press conference. He also added the US would surely argue with their allies over this ‘minor incursion’ by Russia into the Ukraine land. As if it is very clear that Russia will ‘go in’ to Ukraine.
The next day, Blinken, the US secretary was meeting US ‘quad’ allies from Germany, the UK, and France in Berlin. But he had to spend the day to clarify the statements made by Biden. Where he was supposed to polish the relations the unification even further to face this probable invasion by Russia.
And all the assurances he made in Ukraine was also turned out to be futile, and Ukraine president Zelensky was firing off sharp tweets implementing the fact the US president gave a ‘green light’ to the invasion.
During the joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, both diplomats talked up the yet-to-be-detailed sanctions that loomed if Russia attacked. Neither, however, seemed interested in discussing whether suspending the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines from Russia to Germany was a possibility.
The energy sanctions would hit hard Russia’s national pocketbook, but it is very unlikely to happen. Europe relies on Russian natural gas and Mr. Biden is politically sensitive after raising the petrol prices in the US.
And the ‘Quad’ has issues as well. France Emmanuel Macron is intending to pursue separate diplomatic strategies with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Plane-spotters were quick to note the longer route around France, Germany that British flights will be taking to bring short-range anti-tank missiles to Ukraine this week.
‘The quad’ is talking about a good game and Russia is being encouraged by the developments of this week. The bilateral meeting between Mr. Blinken and Russia’s Sergei Lavrov was held on Friday, at the historic President Wilson Hotel.
