Washington [US], February 22 (ANI/Sputnik): The United States has discussed with its allies whether Secretary of State Antony Blinken will move forward with meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later this week in the wake of Moscow's decision to recognize the self-proclaimed republics of Donbas, US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer told MSNBC.

"Whether Secretary Blinken goes ahead with his meeting with Sergey Lavrov is something we've been discussing overnight with our partners and allies, and I'll leave it to the State Department to determine whether or not that meeting goes forward," Finer said Tuesday.

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On Monday, President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, saying that the decision was long overdue. The US and the European Union have vowed "significant" sanctions on Russia.

A State Department spokesperson told Sputnik the same day that the United States has nothing to announce at the moment about possible changes in Blinken's plans to meet with Lavrov in Geneva on February 24. (ANI/Sputnik)

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