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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on the situation in Ukraine, according to US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.
“Secretary of State Antony J Blinken met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian today to discuss ongoing efforts by NATO allies, EU partners, G7 members, and other partners to address Russia’s continued military buildup on Ukraine’s borders, as well as the importance of continuing to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Price said in a statement on Sunday.
Blinken and Le Drian also discussed boosting NATO’s position in Eastern Europe, according to the press release. They also discussed the most recent events in Africa’s Sahel region.
President Joe Biden of the United States spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron over the phone on Sunday about Ukraine, ahead of the latter’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday.
Following the Pentagon’s statement on Wednesday that additional US forces would be deployed to Poland, Germany, and Romania in the coming days, Biden and Macron had a phone conversation about Ukraine. The deployment, according to US officials, is meant to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.
Russia has been accused by the West and Ukraine of building up troops near the Ukrainian border in preparation for a “invasion” in recent months. Moscow has repeatedly denied these allegations, claiming that it is not threatening anyone while also expressing grave concern about NATO military activity near its borders, which it considers a threat to its national security.
Moscow has also stated that it has the legal authority to move troops within its own country.
Russia has also cautioned Western countries that military aid to Kyiv may inspire the latter to use it against Donbas, a breakaway Russian-speaking territory. President Joe Biden approved $200 million in security assistance in December, and the US has been working on providing it.
