Blinken says Russia could move on Ukraine ‘on short order’

By LORNE COOK and DAVID KEYTON
Associated Press

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is warning that President Vladimir Putin could quickly order an invasion of Ukraine if he has a pretext for doing so. But Blinken says NATO allies stand ready to inflict heavy sanctions on Russia’s economy if such an invasion happens. Tensions over a Russian troop buildup along the border of Ukraine are a focus of Blinken’s weeklong Europe trip, including NATO talks in Latvia on Wednesday. Blinken says the U.S. has urged Ukraine to exercise restraint, too. The secretary of state and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are scheduled to meet in Sweden on Thursday.