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All 30 NATO members have joined forces against Russian military action in Ukraine, the United States mission to the alliance said on January 7, following a virtual meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
“The foreign ministers of all NATO countries reaffirmed our unity in response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine during today’s extraordinary meeting,” the mission said in a Twitter post.
“Prior to the NATO-Russia Council meeting, the ministers stressed the need for diplomacy, dialogue and escalation of the situation,” the mission statement said.
Latvia’s Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics commented on Twitter after the meeting ended.
“Good meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers. “Alliance unity, effective, collective defense and support for our partners are key elements in tackling Russia’s aggressive behavior,” he said on Twitter. “We are ready to engage in dialogue with Russia, but not at the expense of our core values or principles,” he added.
The foreign ministers held the virtual meeting amid Western warnings following the gathering of tens of thousands of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, as Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking assurances that Ukraine will not join NATO.
Western officials have said about 90,000 Russian troops and equipment have been deployed near the Ukrainian border.
Moscow has repeatedly accused the US of destabilizing the Black Sea and the surrounding region, saying the deployment of Russian troops is Russia’s internal affair.
Concerns about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, but also about the security guarantees Moscow is seeking, US and Russian diplomats will meet in Geneva on January 10 to try to ease tensions.
The same day, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will visit NATO headquarters in Brussels.
The NATO-Russia Council will meet on January 12 to discuss Ukraine and risk reduction. This will be the first meeting of this council since 2019./ REL
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