Blinken Demands Putin Be Punished For Ukraine War As Quad Opposes Use Of Nuclear Weapons

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, who is in India, said on Friday that the world should not let Vladimir Putin wage war with impunity in Ukraine.

What Happened: Blinken, after meeting his Quad counterparts from India, Japan and Australia in New Delhi, said, “If we allow with impunity Russia to do what it’s doing in Ukraine, then that's a message to would-be aggressors everywhere that they may be able to get away with it too,” reported Reuters.

See Also: Australia Urges Xi Jinping’s Minister Not To Arm Putin: ‘Do The Right Thing’

Blinken met his Quad counterparts on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in New Delhi. 

In a joint statement after the meeting, the Quad leaders also said that the use or threat of use, of nuclear weapons in Ukraine was “inadmissible.” This came after Putin, in January, suspended a landmark nuclear arms control treaty and threatened to resume nuclear tests.

On Thursday, Blinken also briefly met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New Delhi. The U.S. State Secretary urged Lavrov to take steps toward peace and pushed for releasing a U.S. citizen detained by Russia.

"End this war of aggression, engage in meaningful diplomacy that can produce a just and durable peace," Blinken said, according to the White House statement.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Europe and Asia coverage by following this link.