Blinken’s meeting with Lavrov came two days after President Joe Biden muddled the US message of severe consequences for Russia, saying at a press conference that a “minor incursion” might not trigger the same response from NATO as an invasion. Biden clarified Thursday that any Russian troops crossing Ukraine’s border would constitute an invasion.
Blinken held a 90-minute bilateral meeting Friday in Geneva with Lavrov, in which the US sought to convince Russia to de-escalate the situation at the Ukrainian border where Russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops. Blinken said that the meeting was “not a negotiation,” just like last week’s talks between NATO and the West.
“We didn’t expect any major breakthroughs to happen today, but I believe we are on a clearer path in terms of understanding each other’s concerns, each others’ positions,” Blinken said at a press conference after…
