Blinken attends his last meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels

2024-12-03 18:32:18, Kosova & Bota CNA

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that NATO must take all measures to be prepared for next year amid Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine and other threats.

Mr Blinken spoke alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels ahead of a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers, expected to be the last he attends as head of US diplomacy, before the administration of President Joe Biden to leave office next month.

"It is a vital moment, I think, for the alliance to make sure we are prepared for the year ahead," Mr Blinken told reporters, adding that he shared Mr Rutte's concerns about the situation in Ukraine as well as Russia's attacks on infrastructure. strategic of Ukraine.

At the top of the meeting's agenda is consolidating allied support for Ukraine ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House in January, according to the State Department.

President Joe Biden has stepped up shipments of weapons and other materials to Ukraine in recent months and eased restrictions on how Kiev can use them before he leaves the White House.

His aim is to put Ukraine in the best possible position to negotiate a settlement. The NATO meeting comes as Moscow has made significant advances in the conflict and North Korean troops have committed to assisting Russian forces.

Mr Trump has been skeptical of US aid to Kiev and has suggested his administration will significantly reduce or end it.

From Brussels, Mr. Blinken will go to Malta, where he will attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on Thursday, which is grappling with recent developments in Ukraine, Georgia and elsewhere. VOA