USA: If Russia Acts Recklessly, There Will Be Costs

Washington and its allies share concern over Russia's troop buildup on the border with Ukraine US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday rejected suggestions that the US response to Russia's actions in Crimea raised doubts that Washington stands behind its commitments. “In the case of Crimea, in the case of the Donbass, the United States back then led a very significant international effort to impose real costs and sanctions against Russia for its aggression in Crimea and in the Donbas,” the head of American diplomacy said, speaking on the Meet the Press program On NBC. “What we don’t know is whether this has deterred Russia from doing even more,” the secretary of state said. “I have to tell you we have real concerns about Russia's actions near Ukraine’s borders. There are more Russian forces massed on those borders than at any time since 2014 when Russia first invaded. That’s why we’re in very close contact and close coordination with our allies and partners in Europe. All of us share that concern." According to Blinken, President Biden has taken a very clear position on this issue: if Russia acts recklessly or aggressively, there will be costs and consequences. “At the same time, [the president] is equally clear-eyed about the proposition that when it comes to Russia there are areas where our interests align or certainly overlap and we have an interest in working,” the secretary of state recalled, noting that an example of such work was the extension of the START agreement.