In anticipation of a forthcoming call between the foreign ministers of Russia and the United States, Moscow confirmed today that it will not back down in the face of threats of American sanctions against it. This assertion comes amid rising tensions with Western countries over Ukraine. The Russian embassy in Washington stated on its Facebook account that "Washington is the one fueling tensions, not Moscow." The Russian embassy added, "We will not back down and are listening attentively to the threats of American sanctions," according to AFP.
The Russian embassy in Washington indicated that Russian soldiers "do not threaten anyone" and that it is "Russia's sovereign right" to move its troops within its territory. AFP reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to speak with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday to make a decision on how to proceed regarding the Ukrainian crisis. Since the end of last year, Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Russia of amassing up to 100,000 troops on its western border (with Ukraine) in preparation for an invasion.
On Monday, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki stated that the U.S. has prepared "sanctions targeting individuals from the Russian elite and their families," should Russia invade Ukraine. President Joe Biden has long warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of a broad and coordinated response of Western sanctions in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. On Monday, a U.S. official announced that Washington received a written message from Russia containing the Kremlin's comments on the written response that Washington submitted to Moscow last week, which included its reply to Russia's security demands and conditions for resolving the Ukrainian crisis.
