Blinken: Biden wants to avoid direct conflict with Russia over Ukraine

(Patria) - From the very beginning of the Ukrainian crisis, US President Joe Biden has been trying to avoid a direct conflict with Russia, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, Tass agency reported.

"From day one, President Biden had two guiding stars in mind. One was to ensure that we do everything possible to support Ukraine and to rally other countries to do the same," Blinken said.

"And the other was to avoid being in direct conflict with Russia, because the potential for that conflict to escalate is not a place anyone wants to be and is not a place that is good for the security of the American people," Blinken added.