WASHINGTON Jan 19U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the consequences for Russia for escalating the situation would be «crippling.» Blinken reiterated that if Russia chooses the path of further aggression against Ukraine, the United States, together with allies and partners, will force the Russian economy to pay a crippling price. will reconsider NATO's presence in allied countries and increase defense assistance to Ukraine beyond what was previously provided,» the State Department press service said. The meeting between Blinken and Zelensky took place on Wednesday in Kiev. They discussed economic assistance to Ukraine and the security situation in the region. The Secretary of State also briefed the Ukrainian President on the consultations between representatives of Russia, the United States, NATO and the OSCE that took place last week.
17:22 «Russians will be shocked»: Americans laughed at the words about the war with Russia There he will hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. As the Secretary of State said at a press conference in Kiev, he does not carry with him written responses to Russian proposals for security guarantees. «We need to see where we are and whether we still have the opportunity to conduct diplomacy and dialogue, which is certainly preferable,» he said. Blinken also noted that the United States did not make any proposals to Russia at the past meetings and after them. Washington, he said, outlined its concerns about «the challenges posed by Russia for the security of the European region», Moscow, in turn, expressed its concerns. The Secretary of State noted that he did not know which of the Russian requirements were key for Moscow , but a number of points are unacceptable for the United States.
17:19Kuleba said that Ukraine does not plan offensive operations in DonbasWestern politicians and the media have repeatedly announced preparations Russian attack on Ukraine. Moscow rejected these accusations and claimed that such claims are used as a pretext for deploying military equipment and NATO forces near the Russian borders. The Kremlin emphasized that they did not harbor any aggressive plans and did not threaten anyone, and the movement of troops across the country should not worry anyone. In addition, the Russian authorities openly state that Moscow needs legally binding guarantees of the non-alignment of Ukraine and some other countries to NATO, this is a fundamental issue of national security. 
16:48 Slovak Minister of Economy called for an end to sanctions against Russia
