Blinken and Lavrov Meet for First Time Since Ukraine War

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met for the first time in Reykjavik, Iceland for talks on a range of issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This was the first face-to-face meeting between the two officials since the Biden administration took office.

During the meeting, Blinken urged Lavrov to deescalate the situation in Ukraine and to end Russian aggression in the region. Lavrov, on the other hand, reiterated Russia’s stance that it was not a party to the conflict in Ukraine and blamed the Ukrainian government for the unrest.

The meeting came amid renewed fighting in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian troops have been battling Russian-backed separatists in a conflict that has killed over 14,000 people since 2014. The US and its allies have accused Russia of supporting the separatists with weapons and troops, a charge Moscow denies.

The talks also covered other issues such as arms control, cyber threats, and the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Russia.

The meeting was seen as a first step towards improving relations between the US and Russia, which have been strained for years over various issues. Both Blinken and Lavrov said they were open to further discussions and that there was a need for constructive dialogue.