Blinken meets with Saudi Foreign Minister to discuss Ukraine, Yemen
Feb 19, 2022
Washington [US], February 20 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation around Ukraine, as well as other issues, with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud at Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
"Met with Saudi Foreign Minister @FaisalbinFarhan today at the Munich Security Conference to discuss Russia's military buildup near Ukraine's borders, energy security, and countering threats from and mitigating civilian harm in Yemen," Blinken said on Twitter.
The Munich Security Conference kicked off on Friday. In the past few months, Western countries and Kiev have been accusing Russia of preparing for an alleged "invasion" of Ukraine. Moscow has denied these accusations, repeatedly stating that it is not threatening anyone and at the same time expressing strong concerns over NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deems a threat to its national security.
Notably, tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months as Russia and NATO are accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border. The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of preparing to invade the country. Meanwhile, Moscow denies the claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country.
The conflict in Donbas between Ukraine's government and the breakaway of Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics has been going on since 2014. The Minsk Agreements, designed to find a political resolution to the conflict, was negotiated by the leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine -- the Normandy group -- in February 2015. However, the agreement has so far not been observed and sporadic clashes continue.
