U.S., Europe ready for 'high-impact, quick action response' to Russia's aggression - Blinken

The United States, along with European allies and partners, prefers a diplomatic approach to resolving differences with Russia, but if Moscow strengthens its aggression, the U.S. is ready for a "high-impact, quick action" response in the form of sanctions.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this at a joint press conference with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in Washington on Monday, February 7, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We strongly believe together in the United States and Europe that the preferred course – the responsible course – is to work through the differences that we have diplomatically and through dialogue, and we've demonstrated our commitment to do that," he said.

At the same time, he said, the West is ready to respond to any developments. "But equally, we are prepared if Russia chooses the path of aggression. We've worked incredibly closely together in the last months," Blinken said.

In this context, he reiterated that there will be real and profound consequences should Russia choose to continue aggression.

"We've developed a high-impact, quick action response that would inflict massive costs on the Russian economy and financial system, including sanctions and significant export controls that would have a long-term effect in denying Russia the technology that it needs in key sectors," Blinken he said.

He also stressed that Russia's aggressive behavior is taken very seriously by the West.

"These actions – this aggression, this threatened aggression against Ukraine – would undermine the core principles that were hard established after World War II and after the Cold War that have helped to protect security, stability, peace, and prosperity in Europe and beyond ever since," he said.

op