In An Effort To Avert War, The US Offers Putin A Meeting With Biden

As Russia continued to build up its forces near the Ukraine border and planned new naval drills in the Black Sea, the US proposed to convene a summit between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin as a last-ditch effort to avert a new conflict in Europe.

Washington and its allies, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, are also prepared to react in writing next week to Russian demands on the future of Nato and European security, which Moscow has stated must be addressed to avoid it using "military actions." However, speaking in Geneva with his Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov, Blinken reiterated the US and Nato positions that no compromise on the key issue could be reached.

The idea of a conference comes as a weeks-long deadlock over Ukraine teeters on the verge of a key and perhaps violent phase, raising fears that Europe could be engulfed in conflict once more. During the Geneva talks, Russia increased military pressure on Ukraine by announcing large naval exercises involving 140 ships from all of the country's fleets, as well as maneuvers in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Six Russian landing ships sailed from the Baltic Sea this week, threatening an amphibious assault on Ukraine's southern shore if Russia decides to act.

Russia is accused by Ukrainian intelligence of recruiting soldiers to deploy across the border and of sneaking in more than 7,000 tons of fuel, several tanks, and heavy artillery weapons.

According to Blinken, the US has provided $650 million in military aid and is continuing to provide more defense weaponry. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania announced on Friday that they would deliver anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine to allow it to protect itself, echoing regional fears, while the Czech government said it was reviewing Ukraine's request for weaponry.

The Biden administration maintained that it was willing to talk about defusing tensions. Blinken told the press following his meeting with Lavrov that the conversation was "frank and substantial" and that it should lead to more negotiations, including at the higher level.