US Secretary of State assured Kuleba of readiness to increase defense aid to Ukraine
Photo: twitter.com/DmytroKuleba
In a conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Russia would suffer huge losses in the event of a new invasion of Ukraine.
This was reported in the State Department as a result of the conversation, EP reports.
Noting common concerns about Russia's ongoing military build-up near Ukraine, Blinken and Kuleba discussed the results and next steps following the US-Russian strategic stability dialogue in Geneva and ahead of the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels.
The Secretary of State shared his expectations from the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on January 13 in Vienna.
"I had a conversation with my American counterpart and friend Antony Blinken. During the week of diplomatic contacts with Russia, Ukraine and the United States remain united in seeking de-escalation through diplomacy and strength. We continue to work closely to deter Russia from further aggression," Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter about the results of the conversation.
Blinken reaffirmed his support for diplomacy as the only responsible way forward, and that without Ukraine there would be no substantive discussions on Ukraine.
"He repeated that if Russia chooses to continue the conflict, the United States and our allies and partners are ready to put huge costs on Russia's economy, strengthen NATO's presence in the Alliance's frontline states and increase defense assistance to Ukraine," the State Department said in a statement.
The United States reportedly spoke of expectations from the Russia-NATO Council meeting.
