The US has repeatedly warned of Russia’s plans to invade Ukraine and threatened to impose tough sanctions on Moscow if it goes ahead with its plans. However, Russia has denied that it plans to attack Ukraine.

“As the President has repeatedly made clear, we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Sunday.

Psaki said that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are scheduled to meet later this week in Europe, provided Russia does not proceed with military action.

President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement, again, if an invasion hasn’t happened. We are always ready for diplomacy, she said.

Psaki said that Biden spoke with Macron on Sunday and the two leaders discussed ongoing diplomacy and deterrence efforts in response to Russia’s military buildup on the borders of Ukraine.

According to US estimates, Russia has amassed over 150,000 in and near Ukraine, up from about 100,000 on January 30.

We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon, she said.

The development comes after Blinken in an interview to CNN said that Biden is prepared to engage with Putin in any format, at any place and time to prevent a war.

Blinken asserted that everything leading up to the actual invasion of Ukraine appears to be taking place.

“As we have described it, everything leading up to the actual invasion appears to be taking place, all of these false flag operations, all of these provocations to create justifications. All of that is already in train,” Blinken told CNN.

“We believe President Putin has made the decision, but until the tanks are actually rolling and the planes are flying, we will use every opportunity and every minute we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from carrying this forward, he said.

“President Biden is prepared to engage President Putin at any time, in any format, if that can help prevent a war. I reached out to my Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister (Sergey) Lavrov, to urge that we meet next week in Europe. The plan is still to do that, unless Russia invades in the meantime, Blinken said in response to a question.

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“informal” talks between Union home minister Amit Shah and farmer leaders, which took place late Tuesday night, failed to break the deadlock.

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Dr. Mark T. Esper, Hon’ble Secretary of Defence of the United States of America is visiting India for the 2+2 Ministerial Meeting.  Today Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri had a bilateral meeting with him in South Block, New Delhi. The two ministers reviewed bilateral defence cooperation spanning military to military cooperation, secure communication systems and information sharing, defence trade and industrial issues and also discussed ways to take bilateral cooperation forward.

Both the Ministers expressed satisfaction at the close engagements between the respective Armed Forces. They discussed potential new areas of cooperation, both at Service to Service level and at the joint level. They called for continuation of existing defence dialogue mechanisms during the pandemic, at all levels, particularly the Military Cooperation Group (MCG). They also discussed requirements of expanding deployments of liaison officers.

The two ministers expressed satisfaction that agreement of BECA will be signed during the visit.  US Secretary of Defence welcomed Australia’s participation in the exercise MALABAR 2020.

Hon’ble Raksha Mantri elaborated upon the initiatives under the ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT to encourage investments in the defence industry in India and invited US companies to make avail of the liberalized policies and the favorable Defence Industry ecosystem in India

India will gain access to precision data and topographical images – on a real time basis – from United States military satellites under an agreement to be signed during the ongoing visit of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper.

The agreement to share this data – BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) – is the third and final “foundational” understanding the US has with close international partners. The two countries have already signed agreements to exchange military logistics and enable secure communications.

In a statement released on Monday the government said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his American counterpart, Mr Esper, expressed satisfaction that BECA would be signed during this visit and also at the close engagements between the armed forces of the two countries.

They also reviewed bilateral defence spanning military-to-military cooperation, secure communications systems and information sharing, and also discussed potential new areas of cooperation.

Rajnath Singh said the talks would add “new vigour” to India-US defence relations and cooperation

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Trump  on Thursday said it was up to India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue but he was ready to assist if the two countries wanted him to help in resolving the decades-old dispute.

Donald Trump was referring to his last week’s meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, wherein he offered to help to resolve the Kashmir issue.

“It is really up to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi (to accept the offer of mediation),” Donald Trump told reporters responding to a question on India not accepting his offer of mediation on Kashmir.

“Have they accepted the offer or not?”, Trump sought a clarification when asked about India’s rejection of his mediation offer.

TRUMP ON MODI 

“I think they are fantastic people – (Imran) Khan and (Narendra) Modi – I mean, I would imagine they could get along very well, but if they wanted somebody to intervene, to help them…. and I spoke with Pakistan about that and I spoke frankly in (sic) India about it,” Donald Trump said.

He said that the issue of Kashmir had been going on for a long time.

When asked how would he “want to resolve the Kashmir issue”, Donald Trump said, “If I can, if they wanted me to, I would certainly intervene.”

Last week, in his joint media appearance with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Oval Office, Donald Trump stunned India by claiming that Prime Minister Modi sought his mediation/arbitration on the Kashmir issue.

Donald Trump claimed that PM Modi had asked for this during their bilateral meeting in Japan in June on the sideline of the G-20 Summit.

India  immediately denied the claim and made it clear that the Kashmir issue was never discussed between PM Modi and Donald Trump.

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Khan’s statement came hours after Trump offered to be the “mediator” between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue as the two leaders met at the White House where they discussed a host of issues, including the Afghan peace process.

The Indian government has denied Trump’s astonishing claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate.

Khan, who is on a three-day official visit to the US, welcomed Trump’s offer of mediation.

“Bilaterally there will never be (a resolution of the Kashmir dispute),” Khan told Fox News, the favourite channel of president Trump.

“There was one point when there was General (Pervez) Musharraf and Prime Minister (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee of India when we did get close to the resolution of the Kashmiri issue. But since then we are poles apart and I really feel that India should come on the table; US could play a big part. President Trump certainly can play a big part,” Khan said hours after he met Trump at his Oval Office for the first time at the White House.

“We are talking about 1.3 billion people on this earth. Imagine the dividends of peace if somehow that issue could be resolved,” Khan said when the Fox news anchor read out the Indian statement that it has been India’s consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally.

“Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross border terrorism. The Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally,” India said , refuting that Prime Minister Modi ever asked for US mediation on Kashmir.

Khan welcomed Trump’s remarks, saying “President, I can tell you that, right now, you would have the prayers of over a billion people if you can mediate and resolve this issue”.

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