Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will journey to Kyiv, Berlin, and Geneva from January 18 to 21, 2022. The journey follows intensive diplomacy with our European Allies and companions a couple of united method to deal with the menace Russia poses to Ukraine and our joint efforts to encourage it to decide on diplomacy and de-escalation within the pursuits of safety and stability.
Secretary Blinken will start his journey in Kyiv, Ukraine, the place he’ll meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba on January 19 to strengthen the USA’ dedication to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Secretary may also meet with the workers and households of the U.S. Embassy to speak the Division’s efforts to plan for contingencies, ought to Russia select to escalate additional.
On January 20, Secretary Blinken will journey to Berlin, Germany to debate current diplomatic engagements with Russia and joint efforts to discourage additional Russian aggression in opposition to Ukraine, together with Allies’ and companions’ readiness to impose large penalties and extreme financial prices on Russia. The Secretary will meet with Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock, adopted by a gathering with the Transatlantic Quad.
The Secretary will then journey to Geneva, Switzerland, on January 21 to fulfill with Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov to have interaction on areas of bilateral concern and urge Russia to take steps to de-escalate and take away its troops alongside Ukraine’s border.
The Secretary’s journey and consultations are a part of the diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the strain brought on by Russia’s navy build-up and continued aggression in opposition to Ukraine.