Russia must respect Ukraine's territorial integrity – U.S. defense secretary
He made this statement in Brussels on Wednesday, April 14, at a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"I call on Russia to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity," he said.
He stressed that the United States was concerned about Russia's recent military activity, continued to closely monitor the activity and continued to consult with its partners.
In this regard, Austin called upon Russia to cease its provocations and to be more transparent about this recent activity. "The territorial integrity of Ukraine must be respected," Austin said.
He also recalled that the United States had provided some materiel support to the Ukrainian army. "We'll look to continue to do that," he said.
At the same time, the minister noted that the entire team of the U.S. administration responsible for national security was preparing a number of options for President Joe Biden, "focused on employing all of the elements of national power that we are available to us."
A meeting of the defense and foreign ministries of all 30 NATO member states was held online in Brussels on Wednesday, April 14. At the same time, Austin and Blinken arrived in Brussels in person. They held a series of meetings, including with the NATO leadership.
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