US Secretary of State pledges continued support for Ukraine at NATO meeting

The war between Israel and Hamas and rising tensions in the Middle East have raised concerns that the US will not be able to maintain the level of military and diplomatic support it has provided to Ukraine since its conflict with Russia in February 2022.

Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien told reporters that Mr Blinken would highlight the continued commitment of the US and its allies when he participates in a foreign ministers' meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council in Brussels, Belgium.

Mr. O'Brien said the Biden administration believes that continued military aid to Ukraine has bipartisan support in the US Congress , and is considering a request for additional funding for Ukraine's defense along with military aid to Israel and several other allied countries.

Asked about a report in the German newspaper Bild that the US and Germany were quietly urging Kiev to negotiate with Moscow, O'Brien said Washington had no such policy. "We have always said that this is a matter for Ukraine to decide," he said.

At a press conference in Brussels on Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he expected the alliance's foreign ministers to "reaffirm NATO's enduring support" for Ukraine.

Ministers will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Belgian capital, where they will also discuss Türkiye and Hungary’s blocking of Sweden’s accession. Türkiye has informed NATO that its parliament will not ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO before the meeting.

Secretary General Stoltenberg said he was confident that both Türkiye and Hungary would complete their ratification as soon as possible. “Swedish membership will make NATO stronger and make us all safer. The time has come,” he said.

O'Brien said Blinken would also address rising tensions in the Western Balkans, where NATO is considering boosting its military presence amid tensions on the borders of Kosovo and Serbia.

Mai Anh (according to Reuters)

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