Russia-Ukraine Crisis: US' Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov To Meet Next Week If No Ukraine Invasion

US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet next week if there is no further Ukraine invasion.

In this file photo taken on January 21, 2022 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shake hands before their meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. (AFP)

New Delhi: As global tension escalates with fear of Russia invading Ukraine, the US now has said that they are ready to sit and discuss the situation with Moscow next week if there's no escalation by the Russians on the Ukraine border.

Briefing reporters US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet next week if there is "no further" Ukraine invasion.

"Russians have responded with proposed dates for late next week, which we are accepting, provided there is no further Russian invasion of Ukraine. If they do invade in the coming days, it will make clear they were never serious about diplomacy," Ned Price said on Friday (Thursday evening in the US).

"Secretary of State Antony J Blinken noted in his remarks at UNSC earlier today that, because we believe the only responsible way to resolve this crisis is via diplomacy and dialogue, he had proposed to meet Foreign Minister Lavrov in Europe next week," Ned Price stated implying the meeting was initially suggested by the United States.

#BREAKING US says Blinken, Lavrov to meet next week if no Ukraine invasion pic.twitter.com/FWWjHD07C6

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 18, 2022

"We will continue to coordinate with our Allies and partners and push for further engagements with Russia through the NATO-Russia Council and OSCE," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price further added.

Meanwhile, India called for "quiet and constructive diplomacy" and immediate de-escalation of tensions on the Russian military build-up at the Ukrainian border.

India's Permanent Representative to United Nations, TS Tirumurti, pressed for peaceful resolution of the situation through sincere and sustained diplomatic efforts at the UNSC meeting on Ukraine.