18 Jul 2026
Blinken says meeting with Lavrov is off
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a planned meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva this week, he announced Tuesday, CNN reported.
"Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its wholesale rejection of diplomacy, it does not make sense to go forward with that meeting at this time," Blinken said at the State Department on Tuesday. "I consulted with our allies and partners—all agree."
His announcement comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized separatist Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine as independent and announced he would deploy "peacekeeping" forces there.
Blinken said he sent a letter to Lavrov on Tuesday to inform him of the decision.
He added, however, that the US remains committed to diplomacy.
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