Blinken Cancels Meeting With Russian Foreign Minister

February 22, 2022 Russia, United States

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday he had canceled a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov planned for Thursday after Moscow’s recognition of two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent entities.

Blinken said he had agreed to meet with Lavrov, his counterpart, only if Russia did not invade Ukraine.

“Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time,” Blinken told reporters after a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Washington.

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Breaking News: Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a meeting with his Russian counterpart, but said the U.S. would continue to pursue diplomacy if Russia takes steps to de-escalate its aggression against Ukraine. https://t.co/X3ZUBngOB7

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 22, 2022