Blinken rules out Russia demands ahead of key talks over Ukraine

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday he doesn’t expect any breakthroughs this week ahead of key talks between the Biden administration and Russia, as he ruled out reducing U.S. troops in Eastern Europe and barring Ukraine from NATO.

Russia published draft security pacts last month demanding NATO deny membership to Ukraine and other ex-Soviet countries as well as roll back its military deployments in the region.

“Neither of those is on the table,” Blinken said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” as Biden administration officials prepare to engage in high-level talks with Russia this week.

“When it comes to the deployment of forces and troop levels, we’re not looking at troop levels. To the contrary,” said Blinken in a separate interview on ABC’s “This Week.”

“If Russia commits renewed aggression against Ukraine, I think it’s a very fair prospect that NATO will reinforce its positions along its eastern flank, the country countries that border Russia,” he said.

Days earlier, U.S. officials told NBC News the U.S. is ready to propose discussions on scaling back U.S. and Russian troop deployments and military exercises in Eastern Europe. After the publication of the story, White House National Secretary spokesperson Emily Horne disputed that the U.S. would consider reducing the number of troops stationed in Poland and the Baltic states.

With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s border, the Biden administration is threatening unprecedented sanctions and other tough steps against Russia if it takes military action against Ukraine.

Blinken previewed some of what the U.S. plans to bring to the table during talks with Russia this week, including limits on missile deployments and troop exercises. “There are confidence-building measures, there are risk-reduction measures, all of which, if done reciprocally, I think can really reduce tensions and address concerns,” he said.

But he cast doubt on making any breakthroughs with Russia when it “has a gun to the head of Ukraine with 100,000 troops near its borders, the possibility of doubling down on racial order.”

“I don’t think we’re gonna see any breakthroughs next week. We’re going to listen to their concerns they’ll listen to our concerns, and we’ll see if there’s grounds for progress,” said Blinken.

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and other U.S. officials are due to meet their Russian counterparts in Geneva on Monday, and then wider talks involving NATO and other European governments are scheduled to follow during the week.

❤️ Support Independent Journalism

Your contribution keeps our reporting free, fearless, and accessible to everyone.

Secure via Razorpay • 12 monthly payments • Cancel anytime before next cycle