Moscow: Britain’s top diplomat urged Russia on Thursday to defuse tensions over Ukraine and take the path of diplomacy even as thousands of Russian troops engaged in sweeping manoeuvres in Belarus as part of a military buildup near Ukraine that has fueled Western fears of an invasion.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned Russia that attacking its neighbour would “have massive consequences and carry severe costs”, urging Moscow to de-escalate the tensions.
Facing Truss across the table, the grim-faced Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov set a stern tone for the talks, emphasising that Moscow won’t accept Western lecturing.