Blinken, Baerbock discuss Ukraine, warn Russia of 'massive consequences'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock discussed Ukraine crisis at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

When asked about Russia-China new alliance, Blinken said, "Russia and China together are right now less than 20 per cent of world GDP. The United States, Europe together 45 per cent of GDP. When we bring in some of our democratic partners from Asia, Japan, Korea, Australia, others, we're well over 50 per cent of the world GDP. That is a very powerful weight when it's acting in unison, and increasingly, we are."

"We are doing together to bring the countries - not just in Europe but beyond Europe - together in making very clear to Russia that if it commits renewed aggression against Ukraine, there will be, as we've said, and I quote, "massive consequences." This is what the G7 countries said together. The European Union, NATO, the power of that deterrent and our solidarity, I remain hopeful, will have an impact," he added.

 

The German Foreign Minister said there is a new war impending right in the middle of Europe. "Russia issues an absolutely unacceptable threat with their troop's buildup vis-a-vis Ukraine, but also vis-a-vis all of us and our peace architecture in Europe. Therefore, this crisis is therefore no Ukraine crisis. We have to be very careful about our framing. It's a Russia crisis."

She said that the Russian threat continues to be a real one and reiterated that if Moscow attacked Ukraine, then this would have massive consequences for Russia financially, politically, and economically.

However, Baerbock said, "And we have yet another message to Moscow that is just as clear. We don't want to have that. We don't want to have to draw these consequences. We want to have a serious dialogue and security and peace together in Europe."

Baerbock stressed determination, solidarity, and reliability regarding the crisis. " We are determined with a view to the actions and measures that we're preparing in the event of Russia acting against Ukraine. These sanctions are - or would be unprecedented and have been coordinated with all our partners and have been prepared with them," she added.

Meanwhile, Blinken said that he had a chance to speak about the Ukraine crisis a little bit yesterday at the United Nations, at the Security Council, before coming here.

"We are doing everything we possibly can to make clear that there's a diplomatic path, that this has to be resolved, the differences have to be resolved through dialogue, through diplomacy, we are deeply concerned that that is not the path that Russia has embarked on, and that everything that we're seeing - including what you've described in the last 24, 48 hours - is part of a scenario that is already in play of creating false provocations, then having to respond to those provocations, and then ultimately committing new aggression against Ukraine," said Blinken.