US calls on countries close to Russia to influence Moscow to de-escalate around Ukraine – International panorama
WASHINGTON, January 7. / TASS /. The US authorities urge countries that maintain close relations with the Russian Federation to constructively use their influence on Moscow in order to de-escalate the situation around Ukraine. The head of the press service of the US State Department, Ned Price, said this on Thursday at a regular briefing.
Earlier on the same day, a telephone conversation took place between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tleuberdi. According to the results of the conversation, the press service of the State Department, the parties discussed the situation in Kazakhstan, Blinken also raised “the topic of the priority importance of important stability in Europe, including support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.” In this regard, during a briefing, one of the journalists asked Price, “what was the reaction of Tleuberdi when” [США] raised the issue of building up Russian forces near Ukraine <...>that they (the Kazakh authorities) requested a Russian [военное] at home (talking about sending the CSTO peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan at the request of the country’s president, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev). “
“You’ve probably noticed that we have interacted with a wide range of people in recent weeks.” [наших] According to him, discussions on this topic were conducted with the US allies in NATO and the European communities of Washington. …> with other areas that are slightly further away from it. Of course, in the situation with Kazakhstan, this was part of the conversation. The government of Kazakhstan maintains relations with the Russian Federation. To encourage Moscow to choose the path of diplomacy and de-escalation <...>so that we don’t have to use an alternative path, <...> the path of decisive measures if Russia goes further with new aggression against Ukraine, “the State Department spokesman continued.
Recently, in Western countries, as well as in Kiev, an assertion has been made about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov called such information empty and baseless escalation of tension. He admits that Russia poses no threat to anyone. At the same time, Peskov did not rule out the likelihood of provocations to justify such statements and warned that attempts to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine by force would have the most serious consequences.