During their conversation on Thursday, the Polish foreign minister briefed Blinken on his recent visit to Moscow in his role as chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the Polish foreign ministry said in a statement.
It added that the two top diplomats "noted there are no signs of de-escalation on the part of Russia, despite Moscow’s earlier claims about pulling back its units from the border with Ukraine."
Rau and Blinken "agreed there is still a chance to resolve the crisis diplomatically, with a key role of a dialogue based on three pillars: bilateral US-Russia talks, the NATO-Russia Council, and the OSCE forum," the Polish foreign ministry also said in its statement in English.
Rau thanked Blinken for the US administration’s decision to send more troops to Poland and "highlighted the necessity to further strengthen" the entire eastern flank of NATO, according to the statement.
'Poland is a stalwart NATO ally and invaluable partner'
Meanwhile, Blinken said in a tweet after the talk that he and Rau continued their "close partnership to pursue diplomacy to preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."
He added: "Poland is a stalwart NATO Ally and invaluable partner and we support its leadership in OSCE."
The US State Department said in a statement that during his talk with Rau, Blinken welcomed the Polish foreign minister’s "engagement in Kyiv and Moscow and expressed his support for Foreign Minister Rau’s initiative to launch a Renewed European Security Dialogue at the OSCE."
The statement also said that Blinken "reiterated his commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and determination to deter and defend against further Russian aggression."
It added that Blinken thanked Rau "for Poland’s assistance with U.S. citizens who are leaving Ukraine."
Russia 'preparing to launch attack' in coming days: Blinken
Blinken on Thursday addressed a United Nations Security Council meeting amid rising tensions over the Russian buildup.
Blinken told the Council that Russia planned to create a pretext for an invasion in the coming days.
"This could be a violent event that Russia will bring on Ukraine, or an outrageous accusation that Russia will level against the Ukrainian government," Blinken said.
"It could be a fabricated so-called terrorist bombing inside Russia, the invented discovery of a mass grave, a staged drone strike against civilians, or a fake - even a real - attack using chemical weapons. Russia may describe this event as ethnic cleansing, or a genocide," he added.
Blinken disputed Russia's claims that it was reducing its troop presence near Ukraine.
"Russia says it's drawing down those forces," he said. "We do not see that happening on the ground. Our information indicates clearly that these forces, including ground troops, aircraft, ships, are preparing to launch an attack against Ukraine in the coming days."
(gs)
Source: PAP, gov.pl, state.gov