Blinken urges Russia to withdraw troops from Ukraine

RABAT, Morocco (AA) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged Russia to immediately stop the war and withdraw its force from Ukraine.

"What I can say is this: There is what Russia says, and there is what Russia does. We're focused on the latter. And what Russia is doing is the continued brutalization of Ukraine and its people. And that continues as we speak,” Blinken said in a joint press conference in Rabat with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita.

Blinken arrived in Rabat on Monday on a two-day visit for talks with Moroccan officials. He is scheduled to visit Algeria as part of his current tour that already took him to Israel and Ramallah.

Russia's war against Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, has met with international outrage, with the EU, US, and the UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,179 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 1,860 injured, according to estimates by the UN, which cautioned that the true figure is likely far higher.

More than 3.9 million Ukrainians have also fled to several European countries, with millions more displaced inside the country, according to the UN refugee agency.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar