Feb 22, 2022: According to a report by AFP, Moscow said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was still ready for talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine’s two separatist regions.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a video stream on YouTube, “Even during the most difficult moments we say: we are ready for negotiations,”

“We are always in favour of diplomacy,”

Zakharova was speaking after Putin acknowledged the independence of the former Soviet state’s separatist-held Donetsk and Luhansk regions, paving the way for the deployment of a possible offensive force.

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday that he would meet with Blinken in Geneva on Thursday to address rising tensions in Ukraine. Moscow’s move sparked international outcry and the United States and the European Union promised targeted sanctions.

Stay tuned to BaaghiTV for latest news and Updates!