Blinken To Visit Brussels Next Week To Discuss Russia With NATO Allies - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th April, 2021) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is going to return to Brussels next week to discuss Russia's alleged intensifying military activities near the Ukrainian borders, media reported on Saturday.

The consultations in Brussels will last for most of the week as the United States is increasingly concerned over the maneuvers of Russian troops near Ukraine, the Bloomberg news agency reported, citing three people familiar with the situation.

At the same time, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will also be in Brussels to meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

The US Department of State has not commented on the issue yet.

In late March, Blinken visited Europe to reaffirm the US commitment to its NATO obligations, after the four-year criticism of the alliance by the administration of former President Donald Trump.

The eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas has seen an escalation in the situation over the past weeks. On Wednesday, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said the situation at the contact line was deteriorating. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has described the situation on the border as "frightening." He said Russia was taking steps to bolster the security of its western frontier in response to increased NATO presence. The United States and Ukraine, in turn, accuse Moscow of a troop buildup at the border.