Antony Blinken warns that Putin will open ‘Pandora’s box’ in Ukraine – live | US news

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3.40pm GMT 15:40

Blink warns that Putin will open ‘a Pandora’s box of trouble’ for the entire world

Antony Blinken, US secretary of state, is now heading out of his meeting with Nato’s foreign ministers in Brussels and going into one with the European Council, the policy-guiding arm of the European Union.

Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken)

Today’s meeting with my @NATO Foreign Minister counterparts was essential, as we continue to consult with our Allies and European partners on Russia’s war of choice against Ukraine. We are united in responding to Russia’s aggression, and we remain #UnitedWithUkraine. pic.twitter.com/Wlg5sOBaAf

March 4, 2022

Before his next meeting, Blinken took a moment to speak to the press along with Josep Borrell, the vice president of the European Commission, and applaud the EU on taking “historic” action, “both with regard to sanctions and support for Ukraine”.

“We are faced together with what is President Putin’s war of choice, a war that was unprovoked and that is having horrific consequences for real people, for mothers, fathers, for children,” Blinken said. “We see the images on TV and it has to stop. We are committed to doing everything we can to make it stop.”

Blinken continued: “We’ve established together, after two world wars, that are so important to keeping peace and security for everyone, principles that President Putin is egregiously violating every single day – the notion that one country can’t simply go in and change the borders of another country by force or take it over, the principle that one country cannot dictate to another the choices that its citizens would make about their future, the principle that we are past the time of spheres of where influence one country subjugates its neighbors to its will.

“All of those things are at stake and if we allow those principles to be challenged as Putin is doing now with impunity, that will open a Pandora’s box of trouble, not just for us, but, quite frankly, for the entire world.”

Updated at 3.54pm GMT

3.20pm GMT 15:20

Joan E Greve

As part of his “Made in America” agenda to bolster the country’s manufacturing sector, Joe Biden is also implementing changes to the Buy American Act.

As of now, products under consideration for federal qualification as being made in America if 55% of the value of their component parts are domestically manufactured.

The Biden administration will change that threshold to 75% by 2029, with incremental increases to the requirement over the next seven years.

A senior administration official explained that the incremental nature of the policy change would “allow both small and large contractors time to transition their supply chains to domestic suppliers and to increase their use of American-made components”.

“It marks just one of many significant improvements to domestic sourcing policy that the Biden-Harris administration will be rolling out to ensure that taxpayer dollars help America’s businesses compete in strategic industries and help America’s workers thrive,” the official said.

2.56pm GMT 14:56

Blinken: we don’t seek conflict with Russia but we are ready for it

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, took a strong stance on the war today as he arrived for a meeting of Nato’s foreign ministers in Brussels, condemning what he described as Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine.

Reuters (@Reuters)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned the overnight Russian attack on civilians in Ukraine, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the alliance will ‘defend every inch of NATO territory’ pic.twitter.com/2g7F46UMLZ

March 4, 2022

“Ours is a defensive alliance. We seek no conflict. But if conflict comes to us we are ready for it and we will defend every inch of Nato territory,” Blinken said.

However, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg hedged their position a bit this morning, rejecting Ukraine’s demand for no-fly zones.

“We are not part of this conflict, and we have a responsibility to ensure it does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine,” Stoltenberg told reporters.

“We understand the desperation but we also believe that if we did that (a no-fly zone) we would end up with something that could lead to a full-fledged war in Europe involving much more countries and much more suffering,” Stoltenberg said .

2.38pm GMT 14:38

Politico took a look at the cracking opposition to the US agreeing to aiding in a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

Right now, Joe Biden is in the tricky position of remaining true to his promise to protect Nato territories without escalating into further war with Russia, while at the same time getting more and more pressure to intervene in a way that won’t lead to boots on the ground.

Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand)

In presser today from Kyiv, Zelensky repeated call to NATO for no-fly zone: “How long do you need? How many arms and legs and heads should be severed so that you understand?…If you don’t have the strength to provide a no-fly zone, then give me planes. Would that not be fair?”

March 3, 2022

On Friday. Nato allies rejected Ukraine’s demand for no-fly zones.

“We understand the desperation but we also believe that if we did that (a no-fly zone) we would end up with something that could lead to a full-fledged war in Europe involving much more countries and much more suffering,” Nato secretary -general Jens Stoltenberg said.

But in Washington, Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger is pushing for a no-fly zone. Politico is reporting that Republican senator Roger Wicker is also in support, as well as Democratic policymakers like Evelyn Farkas, the top official for Ukraine in the Obama Pentagon.

Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger)

This is a good moment to renew my call for a no fly zone, at the invitation of the Ukraine government. I fear if this continues, we will have to intervene in a bigger way

March 4, 2022

2.08pm GMT 14:08

Amid soaring tensions and continuous bloodshed in Ukraine, conservative firebrand Lindsey Graham is calling for the assassination of Vladimir Putin.

The Republican senator from South Carolina made his first remarks on Fox News with Sean Hannity – who has suggested assassinating Putin previously – before repeating his sentiments on Twitter.

Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC)

Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?

The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out.

You would be doing your country – and the world – a great service.

March 4, 2022 Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC)

The only people who can fix this are the Russian people.

Easy to say, hard to do.

Unless you want to live in darkness for the rest of your life, be isolated from the rest of the world in abject poverty, and live in darkness you need to step up to the plate.

March 4, 2022

Graham’s remarks were met with dismay from both sides of the aisle, with progressive congresswoman Ilhan Omar tweeting, “Seriously, wtf?”

Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN)

I really wish our members of Congress would cool it and regulate their remarks as the administration works to avoid WWlll. As the world pays attention to how the US and it’s leaders are responding, Lindsey’s remarks and remarks made by some House members aren’t helpful.

March 4, 2022

Ted Cruz, the Republican senator from Texas, also responded by calling Graham’s remarks “an exceptionally bad idea”.

Ted Cruz (@tedcruz)

This is an exceptionally bad idea.

Use massive economic sanctions; BOYCOTT Russian oil & gas; and provide military aid so the Ukrainians can defend themselves.

But we should not be calling for the assassination of heads of state. https://t.co/crPGHw9xyJ

March 4, 2022

Even far-right extremist congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, who won her seat expressing support for the conspiracy theory QAnon, called Graham’s statements “irresponsible, dangerous and unhinged”.

“We need leaders with calm minds and steady wisdom,” she tweeted. “Not blood thirsty warmongering politicians trying to tweet tough by demanding assassinations. Americans don’t want war.”

Updated at 2.48pm GMT

1.58pm GMT 13:58

Blinken: we don’t seek conflict with Russia but we are ready for it

Greetings, live blog readers. Happy Friday.

Per usual, we’ll have all our live updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine here, so make sure to keep an eye on that.

But on our end, Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, took a strong stance on the war today as he arrived for a meeting of Nato’s foreign ministers in Brussels, condemning what he described as Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine.

Reuters (@Reuters)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned the overnight Russian attack on civilians in Ukraine, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the alliance will ‘defend every inch of NATO territory’ pic.twitter.com/2g7F46UMLZ

March 4, 2022

“Ours is a defensive alliance. We seek no conflict. But if conflict comes to us we are ready for it and we will defend every inch of Nato territory,” Blinken said.

Meanwhile in Washington, the Washington Post is reporting that previously unseen documentary footage shows Roger Stone, longtime ally of Donald Trump, working to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and secure pardons in the aftermath of the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.

We’ll have more on that in a bit. Stay tuned.

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