The US and Russia launch a new direct attempt to defuse the Ukraine crisis. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Friday following his talks in Kiev and Berlin.
The USA and Russia accuse each other of provocations: The USA sees the Russian troop deployment on the border with Ukraine as preparations for an attack, Russia feels provoked by US troops and weapons in Europe. Blinken rejected this on Thursday following talks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Berlin. Providing military defense equipment to Ukraine should only enable the country to defend itself.