[Epoch Times January 24, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Zhang Ting comprehensive report) US Secretary of State Blinken on Sunday (January 23) stepped up his warning of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying “any additional Russian forces Any entry into Ukraine in an “aggressive manner” will trigger a severe response from the United States and its allies. Blinken also made it clear that the United States has pointed Russia to two paths.
Blinken made the comments in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
Blinken said the United States gave Russia two paths. One is to take the road of diplomacy and dialogue. Another way is to make Russia suffer huge consequences in the event of another invasion of Ukraine.
“It’s not just us saying that. The world‘s leading democracies, the G7, have made it clear. The same goes for the EU and NATO.”
Blinken also said, “While we were doing this, we gave Ukraine more defensive assistance, military assistance last year than ever before. I myself have just authorized third countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to provide Ukraine with U.S. military equipment. We are in close, regular, ongoing communication and consultation with allies and partners to make it clear (to Russia) that these enormous consequences will follow.”
“As I said, if any additional Russian forces enter Ukraine in an aggressive manner, that will trigger a swift, severe and concerted response from us and Europe,” Blinken said.
He also warned that of course Russia could do other things than actually send additional troops into Ukraine. The United States will likewise join Europe in preparing for a swift and consistent response. “We’re reviewing every situation, preparing for every situation.”
Blinken’s comments further shed light on the U.S. stance on a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Blinken also rejected calls for immediate economic sanctions on Russia, saying doing so would weaken the West’s ability to deter potential Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“In terms of sanctions, the purpose is to deter Russian aggression. So if you activate sanctions now, you lose the deterrent effect,” Blinken said.
The U.S. delivered some ammunition to Ukraine on Saturday (January 22) as tensions between Ukraine and Russia escalated. Meanwhile, U.S. officials told Fox News that the State Department has ordered families of U.S. embassy personnel in Ukraine to evacuate Ukraine as soon as Monday (January 24).
A source close to the Ukrainian government told CNN that the U.S. has informed Ukraine that “the evacuation of the families of diplomats from the embassy in Kiev may begin as early as next week.”
But a State Department spokesman did not publicly confirm the evacuation of the embassy personnel. A State Department spokesman was quoted by CNN as saying they had “nothing to announce at this time,” adding that “as usual, we will have rigorous contingency planning in case the security situation deteriorates.”
Responsible editor: Gao Jing#