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Lavrov and Blinken at the summit on the crisis situation

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, are scheduled to meet Friday in Geneva to discuss the security situation, in a conversation expected to last two hours. After that, there will be a live press conference.

Both Lavrov and Blinkin downplayed expectations before the meeting, telling the assembled press that they did not believe the situation would be resolved through conversation.

– Our firm ambition is to work for a diplomatic solution, but also for a joint, quick and serious response if Russia continues its aggression, Blinken said before the start of the meeting at 11.00.

The meeting comes after an intense session A week when Blinkin first met with allies in Europe to find support for the conversation with Lavrov, he spoke with the President of Ukraine in Kiev.

In the morning before the meeting, new information came in about the growing crisis, as Ukrainian military intelligence claimed, among other things, that Russia was actively recruiting and training mercenaries in separatist-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine.

According to the security service, fuel, several tanks, artillery and grenade launchers were secretly brought from Russia, Reuters wrote.

Russian Foreign Ministry He claimed to have received a written response from Washington next week regarding List of requirementswhich calls, among other things, for NATO to withdraw to the borders established by the Defense Pact in 1997, that Ukraine should not be allowed to join NATO and that neither Sweden nor Finland should join.

On Friday, the requirement was also clarified for Bulgaria and Romania, which have since become members of NATO.

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Here, too, Russia demands NATO to withdraw personnel and military equipment from countries, the Deputy Foreign Minister answered a question, wrote to Reuters.

Friday have too The talks were between Poland and Ukraine. The Polish President’s Adviser for Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement after the meeting between the two heads of state that Ukraine can count on Poland’s support.

Read more: Low expectations for a US-Russia settlement.