Russia today is not inclined to responsible negotiations and does not intend to stop the bloody aggression against Ukraine, says US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. He expressed this opinion during a press briefing on March 17..

“Today, I must say, on the one hand, we welcome Ukraine for staying at the table (negotiations - ed.. ) despite the minute-by-minute bombardments. But, at the same time, I did not see any significant efforts on the part of Russia to diplomatically end this war that it is waging,” Blinken was quoted by Ukrinform..

The Secretary of State emphasized the support by the United States of Ukraine’s aspirations to achieve de-escalation through diplomacy, as well as to achieve a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory (and our country demands the withdrawal of the Russian army also from the Donbass and Crimea - ed..

And welcomed the efforts of other countries, including France, Germany, Israel and Turkey, aimed at helping Ukraine achieve this goal..

But, according to Blinken, real diplomacy requires a responsible attitude on both sides of the negotiations and immediate de-escalation..

“I see no signs now that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is ready to stop. On the contrary, if you listen to his statements yesterday, they suggest that he is moving in the opposite direction,” he stressed..