Invasion of Ukraine would result in ‘massive’ response, Washington tells Moscow

MOSCOW, Russia — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Saturday that diplomatic channels remained “open” to avoid conflict in Ukraine but would require Moscow to “deescalate,” the State Department said.

A Russian invasion of Ukraine “would result in a resolute, massive and united Transatlantic response,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

During the call between Washington and Moscow’s top diplomats Saturday, “the secretary made clear that a diplomatic path to resolving the crisis remained open, but it would require Moscow to deescalate and engage in good-faith discussions,” Price said.

Lavrov on Saturday accused the United States of seeking to provoke a conflict in Ukraine, during the call with Blinken, the Russian foreign ministry said.

Lavrov said “the propaganda campaign unleashed by the United States and its allies concerning ‘Russian aggression’ against Ukraine pursues provocative goals,” the Russian foreign ministry said.

That had the effect of “encouraging the authorities in Kyiv to sabotage the Minsk agreements and harm attempts to resolve the ‘Donbass problem’ by force,” it added, referring to eastern Ukraine.

The statements came ahead of a hastily arranged call between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin aimed at defusing one of the gravest crises in East-West relations since the Cold War.

Lavrov and Blinken spoke by phone as US President Joe Biden and France’s Emmanuel Macron prepared to sound out Russian leader Vladimir Putin later Saturday after Washington warned that an all-out invasion could begin “any day.”

Weeks of tensions have seen Russia surround its western neighbor with more than 100,000 troops. Moscow is demanding binding security guarantees from the West that includes a pledge to roll NATO forces out of eastern Europe and to never expand into Ukraine.

Washington has flatly rejected the demands while offering to discuss a new European disarmament agreement with Moscow.

On Saturday Lavrov reiterated that the West had ignored “key” Moscow demands, the foreign ministry said.

“It was emphasized that these issues will be at the center of our assessment of the documents received from the US and NATO,” the ministry added.

Earlier Saturday the United States ordered all non-emergency Kyiv embassy staff to leave Ukraine because of the threat of invasion.

The Pentagon later said that nearly all remaining US soldiers would leave Ukraine.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “has ordered the temporary repositioning of the 160 members of the Florida National Guard,” who were in the country “advising and mentoring Ukrainian forces,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

Multiple other countries, including the Netherlands and Germany, have also advised their citizens to leave.