WASHINGTON: United States secretary of state Antony Blinken on Friday mentioned he has held a phone dialog with Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov and pressed the Kremlin to just accept the ‘substantial proposal’ that Washington has put ahead to safe the discharge of two Individuals detained in Russia.
Of their first such dialog because the begin of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the 2 sides regarded to stay to their present positions, in accordance with the readout of the decision from Blinken and the Russian overseas ministry.
“We had a frank and direct dialog,” Blinken informed a information convention on the State Division. “I pressed the Kremlin to just accept the substantial proposal that we put forth on the discharge of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner,” he mentioned.
Lavrov recommended to Blinken that the 2 sides return to quiet diplomacy on the problem of prisoner swaps.
“Concerning the doable change of imprisoned Russian and US residents, the Russian facet strongly recommended a return to the observe of dealing with this in an expert approach and utilizing ‘quiet diplomacy’ somewhat than throwing out speculative info,” a Russian overseas ministry assertion mentioned.
America this week introduced that it made a proposal to Russia, weeks in the past, to safe the discharge of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan however didn’t reveal what it was providing.
A supply accustomed to the scenario mentioned Washington was keen to change Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who’s serving a 25-year sentence in the US, as a part of a deal.
Households of Individuals detained overseas, lots of them by a few of the high U.S. adversaries, have been growing stress on President Joe Biden, most not too long ago within the case of two-time Olympic gold medallist Griner, who was arrested on medicine costs at a Moscow airport on February 17 and will resist 10 years in jail.
Lavrov informed a information convention that talks on prisoner exchanges had been happening since a summit in Geneva final yr the place President Vladimir Putin and Biden had agreed to appoint officers to look into the problem.
Blinken mentioned he additionally emphasised to Lavrov that the world anticipated Russia to meet its commitments below a cope with Ukraine struck in Turkey to reopen grain and fertiliser exports which have been blocked by warfare, which is deepening a worldwide meals disaster.
Lavrov informed Blinken that it was the US sanctions that sophisticated the worldwide meals scenario.
The highest US diplomat additionally warned Lavrov in opposition to going forward with plans to additional annex elements of Ukraine. “The world is not going to recognise annexations. We are going to impose extra important prices on Russia if it strikes ahead with its plans,” he mentioned.
Lavrov mentioned Russia will meet targets of its ‘particular army operation’ in Ukraine – the time period Moscow makes use of to outline its invasion of Ukraine, which it says is carried out in self-defence. Ukraine and its allies say the Russian assault is totally unprovoked.
Lavrov additionally informed Blinken that ‘the continual pumping of US and Nato weapons into the armed forces of Ukraine … solely prolongs the agony of the regime in Kyiv prolonging the battle and multiplying the casualties,” in accordance with the Russian overseas ministry.
Of their first such dialog because the begin of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the 2 sides regarded to stay to their present positions, in accordance with the readout of the decision from Blinken and the Russian overseas ministry.
“We had a frank and direct dialog,” Blinken informed a information convention on the State Division. “I pressed the Kremlin to just accept the substantial proposal that we put forth on the discharge of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner,” he mentioned.
Lavrov recommended to Blinken that the 2 sides return to quiet diplomacy on the problem of prisoner swaps.
“Concerning the doable change of imprisoned Russian and US residents, the Russian facet strongly recommended a return to the observe of dealing with this in an expert approach and utilizing ‘quiet diplomacy’ somewhat than throwing out speculative info,” a Russian overseas ministry assertion mentioned.
America this week introduced that it made a proposal to Russia, weeks in the past, to safe the discharge of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan however didn’t reveal what it was providing.
A supply accustomed to the scenario mentioned Washington was keen to change Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who’s serving a 25-year sentence in the US, as a part of a deal.
Households of Individuals detained overseas, lots of them by a few of the high U.S. adversaries, have been growing stress on President Joe Biden, most not too long ago within the case of two-time Olympic gold medallist Griner, who was arrested on medicine costs at a Moscow airport on February 17 and will resist 10 years in jail.
Lavrov informed a information convention that talks on prisoner exchanges had been happening since a summit in Geneva final yr the place President Vladimir Putin and Biden had agreed to appoint officers to look into the problem.
Blinken mentioned he additionally emphasised to Lavrov that the world anticipated Russia to meet its commitments below a cope with Ukraine struck in Turkey to reopen grain and fertiliser exports which have been blocked by warfare, which is deepening a worldwide meals disaster.
Lavrov informed Blinken that it was the US sanctions that sophisticated the worldwide meals scenario.
The highest US diplomat additionally warned Lavrov in opposition to going forward with plans to additional annex elements of Ukraine. “The world is not going to recognise annexations. We are going to impose extra important prices on Russia if it strikes ahead with its plans,” he mentioned.
Lavrov mentioned Russia will meet targets of its ‘particular army operation’ in Ukraine – the time period Moscow makes use of to outline its invasion of Ukraine, which it says is carried out in self-defence. Ukraine and its allies say the Russian assault is totally unprovoked.
Lavrov additionally informed Blinken that ‘the continual pumping of US and Nato weapons into the armed forces of Ukraine … solely prolongs the agony of the regime in Kyiv prolonging the battle and multiplying the casualties,” in accordance with the Russian overseas ministry.