US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has urged Russia to “stop its dangerous and aggressive actions” towards Ukraine;after a meeting with Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
This warning comes amid reports that tensions on the border between Ukraine and Russia remain high. Russia had moved thousands of combat troops to Ukraine’s borders in what the country called a “preparedness check”.
After several calls from International bodies to withdraw troops, Russia declared after a few weeks that,;the troops had completed their drills near Ukraine, and would return to their permanent bases by May 1.
At a press conference following the meeting, Blinken noted that, although Russia has reduced;its military presence on the border with Ukraine, it maintains “significant forces” there.
“Russia has capabilities to, in a short period of time, take aggressive action if it makes that decision”.
President Zelenskyy also pointed out that the Russian military threat against Ukraine still persists,;as Moscow has only slightly reduced the number of its troops deployed on the country’s borders.
“We consider that the reduction is too slow, that’s why the threat may still exist”.
Blinken also met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, telling him that;he was there to “reaffirm strongly” Washington’s commitment to Ukraine’s “sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.”
He added that the US is committed “to work with you and continue to strengthen your own democracy, building institutions, advancing your reforms against corruption”.
Zelenskyy thanked Blinken for the support of the United States against Russia, saying that “much had been done to stop the escalation.”
G7 ministers chide China and Russia
Blinken’s trip to Kiev came after a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers in London. Following the meeting, the ministers noted in a communique that Russia was trying to undermine democracies and threatening Ukraine
The group also declared that China was guilty of human rights abuses and of using its economic power to bully others.
The G7 therefore came to an agreement that it would bolster collective efforts to stop China’s “coercive economic policies” and to counter Russian disinformation.
Addressing Russia specifically, the ministers expressed their support for Ukraine, condemning Moscow’s “irresponsible and destabilizing behaviour”.
“We are deeply concerned that the negative pattern of Russia’s irresponsible and destabilizing behaviour continues.
“This includes the large build-up of Russian military forces on Ukraine’s borders and in illegally-annexed Crimea, its malign activities aimed at undermining other countries’ democratic systems, its malicious cyber activity, and [its] use of disinformation.”
Taking a swipe at China, they averred that they supported Taiwan’s participation in World Health Organization forums and the World Health Assembly. The group also expressed concerns about “any unilateral actions that could escalate tensions” in the Taiwan Strait.
China regards Taiwan as its own territory and, therefore, opposes any official Taiwanese representation on an international level. China’s Foreign Ministry condemned the joint statement by G7 foreign ministers, saying it was a gross interference in China’s internal affairs.
“The G7 as a group should take concrete actions to boost the global economic recovery instead of disrupting it”, spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters.
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