“All options are on the table” to respond to Russian moves – U.S. State Department

The United States takes very seriously the amassing of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border and is considering all possible options for responding to Russia's possible actions.

That's according to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried who spoke at a telephone briefing on Friday, November 26, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"[A]ll options are on the table and there's a toolkit that includes a whole range of options," said Donfried.

According to the official, the American side treats with serious concern Russia's unusual military activity near Ukraine's borders.

In addition, Donfried noted that NATO must now decide on the next steps in response to Russia's moves. The State Department official recalled that the Alliance's foreign ministerial will take place in Riga next week to discuss joint assessments of the situation in the region.

At the same time, Donfried noted that the United States would continue to review and evaluate the United States' position in defense policies on NATO's eastern flank.

As Ukrinform reported, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken next week will travel to Europe, where he will take part in a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Riga, as well as in an OSCE ministerial. The meetings will focus on the escalation of military tensions in the wake of the Russian military buildup near the Ukrainian border.