U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated President Biden would likely soon speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin as tensions continue to mount over the military buildup at Russia’s border with Ukraine. Blinken made the statement after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Thursday. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said it is conducting artillery drills near the border of Russian-annexed Crimea. Russia has denied it has plans for any military action and blamed Ukrainian allies for the current situation. This is Sergey Lavrov.

Sergey Lavrov: ”NATO continues to escalate the situation on our borders, refuses to consider our proposals to deescalate tensions and prevent dangerous incidents.”