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US, Canadian top diplomats discuss possible sanctions against Russia

Lately, Ukraine and the West have been increasingly echoing claims of an alleged Russian "invasion" of Ukraine ever more frequently

WASHINGTON, February 17. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed possible sanctions against Russia with his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly in a phone conversation on Wednesday, according to a statement by US State Department Spokesman Ned Price.

"Secretary Blinken discussed the threat of a further Russian invasion of Ukraine and the importance of working with our allies and partners to impose swift, severe costs on Russia in response to any further military aggression by Russia against Ukraine," the document said.

On Wednesday, the US top diplomat also held a phone conversation with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. In particular, they discussed "Russia’s continued threat to Ukraine and the urgent need for Russia to deescalate tensions."

Lately, Ukraine and the West have been increasingly echoing claims of an alleged Russian "invasion" of Ukraine ever more frequently. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov branded such information as an "empty and groundless" escalation of tensions, emphasizing that Russia does not pose a threat to anyone. That said, he didn’t exclude the possibility of provocations being whipped up in order to justify such claims and warned that attempts to resolve the problem in southeastern Ukraine through the use of force would carry the most serious consequences.