Blinken reiterates to Lavrov that the US will act in the face of aggression against Ukraine

Blinken warned that "difficult days" would come for Ukraine 1:28

(CNN) --

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday that Washington is committed to a "united, swift and severe response" if Moscow commits a new aggression against Ukraine.

"We are, all of us, equally committed to the path of diplomacy and dialogue to try to resolve our differences," Blinken said.

"But we are also committed, if that proves impossible and Russia decides to continue the aggression against Ukraine, to give a united, swift and severe response."

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  Neither Biden nor Putin can afford to lose in their duel over Ukraine

"This is part of an ongoing effort to de-escalate tensions and prevent further Russian aggression against Ukraine. I have come to consult with allies and partners, as well as with Ukraine itself," he explained.

Blinken reiterated that he did not expect the United States and Russia to resolve their differences at the meeting.

But, he said he hoped to keep a diplomatic track open to address those issues.

"We are committed to walking that path and resolving our differences peacefully," he said.

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The Secretary of State also mentioned that he wanted to discuss the situation with Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed.

"We ask Russia again to do the right thing and let them go home," he said.

Lavrov says the US repeatedly called for de-escalation

After the meeting, Lavrov gave a press conference in which he mentioned that de-escalation was one of the "main issues" that the United States raised "like a mantra", in specific reference to Russia's military build-up around Ukraine's borders. .

"Our American colleagues again tried to prioritize this issue, the problems on the border of Russia and Ukraine as the main problem. They tried to present de-escalation as the main thing, they repeated it like a mantra," Lavrov said.

Antony Blinken Sergei Lavrov Ukraine