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US Secretary of State, NATO Sec Gen discuss escalation in Ukraine

Russian military build-up on the Ukrainian border and peace in Afghanistan were the main topics of the talks between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg before the planned visit of top US diplomats to Brussels later this week.

Russian troops movements near the Ukrainian border raise concern: EC

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Mr Blinken and the US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin are going to Brussels on Tuesday, where they will take part in consultations with other NATO countries. The talks will focus on the current priorities of the North Atlantic Alliance.

A spokesman for the Department of Defence stated in a press release that Blinken would hold bilateral meetings with European allies by Thursday and would like to use them to “reaffirm the US commitment to the transatlantic alliance as a key partnership to achieve our common goals.”

In an interview with the American commercial broadcaster CNN, Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, said that Russian intervention was “very likely” and could take place any day. He assured that Ukraine was ready for it and said that US President Joe Biden “should do more” to help end this conflict.

In the Donbas in eastern Ukraine, where the ceasefire entered into force in July 2020, an escalation of the conflict is underway. According to the Ukrainian side, Russia is increasing the number of its troops on the border with Ukraine. Hostility on “the line of contact” that sets apart Ukrainian soldiers in Donbas from separatists supported by Russia has also increased.

Russia has already transferred 16 tactical battalion groups to the borders with Ukraine and the annexed Crimea, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine claims. According to the estimations of a British public broadcaster BBC, around 11,000-14,000 Russian soldiers are stationed near the border. The intelligence management said the process of concentration of Russian forces is expected to last until the end of April.

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