National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan calls his Russian counterpart to warn him of the implications of using chemical weapons and he should stop ‘bombing towns and cities’ if Putin is serious about diplomacy
- National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told Russia if they want a shot at diplomacy, they need to stop targeting civilians and bombing Ukrainian cities
- ‘Sullivan told General Patrushev that if Russia is serious about diplomacy then Moscow should stop attacking Ukrainian cities and towns,’ a readout notes
- Came just after news broke that 10 Ukrainian civilians were shot and killed in cold blood while waiting in line for bread on Wednesday
- Also follows President Volodymyr Zelensky’s plea for a new alliance outside of NATO that would prevent future attacks in Europe and stop Putin’s bullying
- Sullivan also warned Russia against using chemical and biological weapons
Jake Sullivan spoke with his Russian counterpart Wednesday demanding Moscow stop targeting civilians and warned against using chemical or biological weapons as President Vladimir Putin continues his 20th day of invasion in Ukraine.
Biden’s national security adviser spoke with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was delivering an address to Congress just after Russian troops shot and killed 10 Ukrainian civilians waiting in line for bread.
‘Mr. Sullivan told General Patrushev that if Russia is serious about diplomacy then Moscow should stop attacking Ukrainian cities and towns,’ NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne said in a readout of Sullivan’s call with Patrushev.
The U.S. and western allies have levied crippling economic sanctions on Russia that has severely depleted worth of the ruble and left the country and its people in economic disarray. These deterrences, however, have not stopped Putin from his full-scale attack.
Zelensky played a video Wednesday for Congress showing bombings in Ukraine that reduced infrastructure to rubble and have left thousands of civilians dead.
‘Mr. Sullivan also warned General Patrushev about the consequences and implications of any possible Russian decision to use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine,’ Horne wrote of the national security adviser’s Wednesday call.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told Russia if they want a shot at diplomacy, they need to stop targeting civilians and bombing Ukrainian cities. Pictured: A building is severely damaged by Russian shelling in Berdychiv, in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine on the 20th day of invasion Wednesday, March 16, 2022
In a call with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev, Sullivan said ‘if Russia is serious about diplomacy then Moscow should stop attacking Ukrainian cities and towns,’ according to a readout of the call
Zelensky made an address to Congress on Wednesday (pictured) where he said Europe has a need for a new alliance outside of NATO that would prevent future attacks in Europe and stop Putin’s bullying in the region
The latter warning comes after Russia claimed as justification for invasion that the U.S. was funding bio labs in Ukraine aimed at developing biological weapons, including the Black Death, anthrax and rabbit fever. China has backed up these claims.
The U.S. has called it just a ‘preposterous’ attempt at ‘misinformation’.
The readout of Sullivan’s call reiterated that the U.S. portrayed to Russia ‘the United States’ firm and clear opposition to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.’
‘Mr. Sullivan clearly laid out the United States’ commitment to continue imposing costs on Russia, to support the defense of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank, in continued full coordination with our Allies and partners.’
Russia tried to strike a deal with Ukraine this week for the former Soviet-bloc country to become ‘neutral’ like Sweden or Austria after several rounds of peace talks have done nothing to quell the violence and bloodshed in Eastern Europe.
Moscow is reportedly demanding Ukraine refuse to join any military alliance or host foreign military bases on its soil as conditions for a ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops who have been in the country since February 24, 2022.
Russia continues to target Ukrainian civilians and their homes. Here a firefighter works to extinguish a fire in Kharkiv on Wednesday following Russian shelling
Ukraine has pleaded they be admitted to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance, and recently Zelensky has admitted his country would have to realize that would never happen.
He did, however, proposed during his Wednesday speech that he ‘has a dream’ for creation of a new military alliance to work for ‘peace’ in Europe amid fears Russia may want to retake its Soviet-era territories.
‘I have a dream…I have a need. I need to protect our sky,’ Zelensky said by invoking the words of civil rights leader Matin Luther King Jr.
‘I need your decision,’ he continued, ‘exactly the same you feel when you say ‘I have a dream.”
He said the new alliance would be aimed at preventing future attacks in Europe and stop Putin’s bullying in the region.
Kyiv has said it would not make a deal with Moscow unless there were security guarantees underwritten by ‘international partners’ who would agree to come to Ukraine’s defense in the event it is attacked again.
Footage published by Ukrainian website Public and corroborated by the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv shows the lifeless bodies of ten people sprawled on the street after being executed in cold blood while waiting in line for bread
Ukraine’s top negotiator Mikhailo Podolyak said the international community cannot be allowed ‘to stand aside in the event of an attack on Ukraine, as they do today’ should fighting restart.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed Wednesday that neutrality is taking center stage with Moscow and Kyiv ‘close to agreeing’ the wording of an agreement, as it was revealed a 15-point plan for peace is being discussed.
The plan includes ‘limits’ on Ukraine’s armed forces in return for Russia withdrawing from areas captured since the start of war on February 24, including along the Black Sea coast in the south, and Ukraine’s northern and eastern borders.
But it is unclear what would become of Crimea – which Russia insists must be recognized as part of its territory – and Donetsk and Luhansk – which the Kremlin says should be recognized as independent.
Putin insists that the whole of Donetsk and Luhansk – known as the Donbass region – should split from Ukraine, and not just the parts occupied by pro-Moscow rebel forces before fighting broke out. It is unclear if Kyiv would agree to such terms.
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