The US State Department has confirmed that a meeting between the heads of the foreign affairs departments of the United States and Russia, Antony Blinken and Sergey Lavrov, will take place in Geneva on January 21.
“Today the Secretary of State spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. They agreed to meet in Geneva, after the Secretary of State’s visits to Kyiv and Berlin. We are in constant contact with the Russian side, as well as with our allies and partners,” said the State Department spokesperson.
“The meeting of high-ranking officials shows that ‘diplomacy, perhaps, is not dead,'” the spokesperson noted.
It is expected that Blinken and Lavrov will discuss Moscow’s demands regarding security guarantees and the issues of the Ukraine conflict.
“This meeting is a real opportunity for the United States to exchange views with Russia on serious concerns and to find common ground,” said the State Department official.
Before leaving for Geneva, Blinken will meet this week in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, then will travel to Berlin, where he will meet with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
