The US has called off the meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, planned for Thursday in Geneva, citing what it said was the Russian “invasion” of Ukraine through recognition of two rebel regions.
“Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time,” Blinken said on Tuesday, in a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba at Foggy Bottom.
Russia had proposed the Lavrov-Blinken meeting last Wednesday, and the US accepted it on Friday, at which point the time and date were set. However, the State Department conditioned their acceptance on Moscow not “invading” Ukraine – something the US now says has happened.
This has undoubtedly left Moscow with extra drinks and food…
