Blinken called the talks in Europe an attempt to reduce tensions around Ukraine

“I am going to Kiev and Berlin, where I will meet with our allies and partners, then I will meet with my Russian counterpart in Geneva.

This is a diplomatic attempt to reduce tensions around Russia's unreasonable buildup of military forces near the borders of Ukraine, ”Blinken wrote on Twitter.

I'm traveling to Kyiv and Berlin, where I will meet with our partners and allies, before meeting with my Russian counterpart in Geneva.

This is a diplomatic effort to de-escalate tensions surrounding the unprovoked Russian military build-up on Ukraine's borders.

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— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 18, 2022

Earlier it became known that during his visit to Kiev on January 19, Blinken will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba.

Blinken will hold talks in Geneva on January 21 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In turn, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that the meeting was under active development.