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Bloomberg
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and foreign ministers from Japan and South Korea committed to work together to deter further Russian escalation along Ukraine’s border and condemned North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches.
Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong stressed the “critical
importance†of strong cooperation among their countries for regional stability, they said in a joint statement after wide-ranging talks in Hawaii. The officials discussed the Russian military build-up along Ukraine’s borders and their “unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,†according to the statement.
The US State Department ordered “non-emergency US employees†to depart the embassy in Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv and suspended consular services there. Russia has repeatedly rejected charges it plans to invade Ukraine, accusing Nato of threatening its
security by considering Ukrainian membership in the military alliance.
US President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the country would face “severe costs†for any invasion of Ukraine in an hour-long phone conversation that ended with the issue unresolved and Russia’s intentions unclear.
On North Korea, the three officials “expressed deep concern about the destabilising nature†of Pyongyang’s recent ballistic missile launches, calling on it to cease unlawful activities and engage in dialogue.
“It is clear to all of us that the DPRK is in a phase of provocation,†Blinken said at a joint press conference after the meetings, using an acronym for North Korea.
The US, Japan and South Korea are working closely to “achieve complete denuclearisation and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula,†remain open to dialogue and are prepared to meet with North Korea without preconditions, according to the statement.
Blinken and his counterparts also underscored the importance of stability in the Taiwan strait. They pledged to “intensify efforts†to end violence in Myanmar and supported efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to resolve the country’s crisis.
The talks also focused on common approaches to address priorities including the climate crisis, supply chains and global health security, including efforts to end the Covid-19 pandemic.