Russia today pledged to pursue peace talks with Ukraine, warning that the “real danger” of the conflict would become World War III, a day after US ministers visited Kiev.
On the day the Russian military announced that it had hit about 100 targets in Ukraine, Russian diplomat Sergueï Lavrov accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being “fake” to argue with Moscow, including on rail facilities in the center of the country.
“He’s a good actor … If you look closely and read what he says, you can see a thousand contradictions,” said Lavrov, quoted by Russian news agencies.
But we continue to negotiate with the team [ucraniana] Those contacts will continue, “he said.
In the midst of unprecedented tensions between Moscow and the West, Lavrov warned of the danger of World War III due to the war in Ukraine.
“The risk is serious, it’s real, and we can not underestimate it,” he said.
The reports were released the day after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Kiev, where they met with Zhelensky. This is the first visit by US officials since the conflict began on February 24.
Lloyd Austin, returning from a trip, believed that with the right equipment and support, Ukraine could win the war against Russia.
“The first thing to succeed is to believe that you can succeed [ucranianos] They are confident they can win, “said David Cook, chief of The Christian Science Monitor’s Washington bureau.
Zhelensky presented to the US delegation an action plan to strengthen sanctions against the Russian Federation, prepared by international experts Jermack-McFall, initiated by the Ukrainian president.
In particular, the plan proposes to extend sanctions against Russia, which include oil and gas, transportation, new financial sanctions and further restrictions on the activities of Russian state-owned enterprises.
It also points to the recognition of Russia as a country that supports terrorism.
Two top US policymakers during a meeting with Zhelensky said the United States had approved $ 713 million (66 661 million) in foreign military funding for Ukraine and 15 allies and allies.
Of that amount, Ukraine will receive US $ 322 million (€ 299 million) in foreign military funding and US $ 165 million (€ 153 million) in ammunition.
The rest will be distributed among NATO member states and other countries that have provided military support to Kiev since the beginning of the war.
During the meeting, Blingen and Austin also announced that US President Joe Biden would appoint Slovakia’s current ambassador, Bridget Pring, as the new ambassador to Ukraine.
Diplomats who left before the Russian invasion will begin returning to Ukraine next week, but the US embassy in Kiev will remain closed for the time being.