WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a call on Tuesday told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that this would be the time to pull back Russian troops from the border with Ukraine if Moscow is not intending to invade, a senior State Department official told reporters.
“If President Putin truly does not intend war or regime change, the Secretary told Foreign Minister Lavrov then this is the time to pull back troops and heavy weaponry and engage in a serious discussion….that can enhance collective European security,” the official said, speaking to reporters on a call on condition of anonymity.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk)
