Blinken holds joint press conference with his German counterpart, says talks with Lavrov will show diplomatic way forward with Russia
Jan 20, 2022
Washington [US], January 20 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a joint press conference with Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Berlin on Thursday.
This comes after the two top diplomats held a meeting with their French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian and UK Deputy Foreign Minister James Cleverly to discuss the recent escalation of tensions on Ukraine's eastern border with Russia, reported Sputnik.
Blinken said that the United States will decide if there is a diplomatic way forward with Russia after he meets with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later this week.
"Tomorrow when I have a chance to see my Russian counterpart, I think it's a good opportunity because since this last week of very intensive discussions with Russia in the strategic stability dialogue between the United States and Russia, the NATO-Russia Council, the OSCE, we've all had an opportunity to think about what we heard from each other. The Russians have had a chance, I assume, to go back and consult with President Putin, we've had a chance to closely consult among ourselves," Blinken said at a joint press conference with his German counterpart.
"And now, I think we'll be able to see further, perhaps as a result of tomorrow's meetings whether there is still a clear diplomatic path forward, one that Germany and the United States together are determined to pursue," he added.
Talking about the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action also known as the Iran Nuclear deal, Blinken said, "If a deal is not reached in the coming weeks, Iran's ongoing nuclear advances which resumed after we withdrew from the agreement will make it impossible for us to return to the JCPOA.", reported the news agency.
"We are indeed at a decisive moment," Blinken said at a joint press conference with his German counterpart in Berlin.
Earlier this week, Baerbock visited Moscow, where she met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Kyiv, where she met with President Zelensky.
Blinken, for his part, also went to Kyiv and Brussels. He is now scheduled to meet Lavrov in Geneva on January 21.
