Leonid Slutsky, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, commented on the results of the talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
On January 21, in Geneva, an hour and a half meeting between Lavrov and Blinken took place. The parties discussed Moscow’s proposals on security guarantees and the situation in Ukraine.
“Negotiations, according to the statements of the parties, are “intermediate”, but again they were accompanied by the repetition of American mantras about the “invasion” of Russian troops into Ukraine and another (which is already in a row?) assurances by Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov about the absence of such plans in principle”, said Slutsky in his Telegram channel.
A written response to each point of the Russian proposals for security guarantees has not yet been submitted, the deputy added. According to him, Washington is taking another week-long time-out, assuring its commitment to “the path of diplomacy and dialogue.” Slutsky also drew attention to the statement of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress Nancy Pelosi, who called the bills on sanctions against Russia one of the priorities for congressmen.
“That is, American parliamentarians are still ready to work to cover up Kiev’s sabotage of the implementation of the Minsk agreements, while approving the supply of weapons to the current Ukrainian regime under fairy tales and myths about “Russian aggression,” Slutsky emphasized.
The MP recalled that February 12 marks the 7th anniversary of the signing of the second version of the Minsk agreements, which still have no alternative. Slutsky urged to reconsider priorities and direct their efforts to supporting the settlement process and facilitating the implementation of previously concluded agreements.
“The question is also rhetorical. The United States does not need peace in Ukraine, they obviously need a springboard to contain Russia”, he concluded.