Topline
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday held crisis talks with European allies in Berlin in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine, a day after President Joe Biden warned that such a move by Moscow was imminent.
Key Facts
Blinken met with senior officials from Germany, Britain and France after arriving in Berlin as the U.S. attempted to present a unified western front to deter Russian military action.
Blinken is also scheduled to meet the new German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, later on Thursday.
Blinken’s visit to Berlin is part of a larger tour, which included a visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Wednesday where he urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay on a “diplomatic and peaceful path.”
Blinken will meet Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Friday, in the last leg of his tour.
Earlier on Wednesday, Biden said that he believes an attack on Ukraine was likely, noting that Putin will “move in” as he has to “do something.”
Key Background
Russia has amassed about 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, a number that according to Blinken could be doubled in a short period of time. Recently, Russia has also moved forces into Belarus, which borders Moscow to the north, claiming it is part of a regular military exercise. Last week, several Ukrainian government departments faced large-scale cyber attacks that some experts have attributed to Moscow. Despite this Russia has insisted that it has no plans to attack anybody and has dismissed the U.S. claims as “hysteria.
Tangent
According to the Wall Street Journal, CIA Director William Burns made a quiet visit to both Berlin and Kyiv a week before Blinken’s official visit to the region. The CIA chief briefed the German Chancellor and intelligence officials on the Russia-Ukraine issue and urged Berlin to shut the recently completed Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline—which will carry Russian gas to Western Europe—if the invasion of Ukraine takes place. Despite this Russia has long expressed concerns about Ukraine’s—which it considers a part of its zone of influence—growing ties with the West. Moscow has claimed that Kyiv’s accumulation of foreign weaponry and its attempt to join the U.S.-led NATO military alliance poses a threat to Russian national security. In 2014, Russian forces seized and annexed Ukraine's southern Crimean peninsula after the country’s pro-Russian leader was deposed by protesters. This was followed by the capture of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine by Russian-backed separatist groups.
Further Reading
Blinken holds Ukraine talks with allies after Biden says attack likely (Reuters)
U.S., European officials hold crisis talks as Ukraine standoff intensifies (Washington Post)
CIA Chief Made Secret Visit to Europe Ahead of Blinken’s Trip (Wall Street Journal)
