G20 India meet: 'US worked hard to prevent Ukraine war, urge Russia to rejoin arms control START treaty,' says Blinken
The statement comes hours after Blinken met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov for the first time since the Ukraine war began
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses the media in New Delhi on 2 March 2023. ANI
New Delhi: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said that “every country continues to bear the cost of Russia’s aggression.”
Speaking on the Ukraine war post the meeting of G20 foreign ministers here, Blinken said “It’s a war that president Putin can end tomorrow if he chose to do so. We worked hard to prevent it.”
Notably, the statement comes hours after Blinken met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov for the first time since the Ukraine war began.
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“I spoke briefly with Russian FM Lavrov today. I urged Russia to reverse its irresponsible decision and return to implementing the new START Treaty,” Blinken said.
“I told Russian FM that no matter what else is happening in the world & our relationship, the US will always be ready to engage and act on strategic arms control just as the US & Soviet Union did at the height of the Cold War,” he added.
The top US official asked Russia to end this war of aggression and engage in meaningful diplomacy that can produce just endurable peace.
“United States stands ready to support Ukraine through diplomacy. President Putin however has demonstrated zero interest in engaging while doubling down on his brutalisation of Ukraine. Independent of what Russia does we show it here in Delhi what we will do,” he added.
US warns China of consequences if it supplies arms to Russia
“If were China to engage in material lethal support for Russia’s aggression or were engage in systematic evasion of sanctions to help Russia that would be serious problem for our countries,” Blinken also said.
Earlier, the US said that China was mulling supplying weapons to Russia.
“When I saw senior foreign policy official Wang Yi (of China) I raised our concern on info that Chinese is considering to supply weapons to Russia, I said it would be serious probelm in our relationship with China & there would be consequences,” he added.
With inputs from agencies
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