U.S. officials on Saturday unveiled some details of the administration’s stance, which seem to fall well short of Russian demands. But they also said Russia will be hit hard with economic sanctions should it intervene in Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of “gaslighting” and mounting a full-scale disinformation campaign designed to blame Ukraine, NATO and particularly the United States for the current tensions and undercut Western unity. Thus, the intensified U.S. and allied effort to forge common positions on both the warnings and the “severe costs” to Russia if it moves against Ukraine. While expressions of unity have been forthcoming, Blinken was not optimistic about prospects for success in the talks.
