U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday urged Russia to “de-escalate” on Ukraine and use “diplomacy”, reiterating his threat of “serious consequences” if Russia resorts to “aggression”. “We have deep concerns about Russia’s plans for renewed aggression against Ukraine,” Mr. Blinken told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, during bilateral talks in Sweden. Mr. Lavrov warned Washington against “drawing Ukraine into the geopolitical games of the United States” and said Russia needed “long-term security guarantees” that would halt NATO's eastward expansion, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.