U.S. secretary of state and secretary of defense to travel to Brussels to discuss Russia's escalation – Bloomberg

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin are set to travel to Brussels next week to discuss Russia's escalation in eastern Ukraine with allies in Europe.

"Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to return to Brussels next week for more meetings with NATO and European officials, according to people familiar with the matter, as the U.S. grows increasingly concerned about Russian troop movements near Ukraine," Bloomberg reports.

According to preliminary information, the meetings in Brussels will take up most of the week.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will be in Brussels at the same time, for a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The situation in Ukraine is very likely to be on the agenda. In addition, the parties will talk about other security challenges faced by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

As Ukrinform reported, the West has expressed strong support for Ukraine following Russia’s escalation in eastern Ukraine, as well as the pulling of Russian troops to the Ukrainian border. Washington said it is holding close consultations with allies in Europe on this matter.

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