US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will emphasize Ukraine’s continued support for NATO in its war with Russia during a visit to Europe this week, a senior State Department official on European relations said on Monday, Reuters reported.

The war between Israel and Hamas and rising tensions in the Middle East in general have raised fears that Washington will not be able to maintain the level of military and diplomatic support it has provided to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. , Reuters notes, reports Agerpres.

James O’Brien, recently appointed Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs and former head of the Coordination Bureau of the US State Department, made these comments on the eve of Anthony Blinken’s participation in the first meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council at the level of foreign ministers in Brussels.

“This is part of the process of finding a place in the Alliance, which we have always said is the future of Ukraine,” he added.

Asked about a report in the German daily Bild that the United States and Germany were slowly pushing Kyiv toward talks with Moscow, O’Brien said Washington had no such policy.

“I always said that Ukraine should decide,” he said.

During the visit, the US Secretary of State will also touch on the problem of growing tensions in the Western Balkans, where NATO is considering increasing its military presence, amid tensions in northern Kosovo, James O’Brien also reported.

Also this week, Anthony Blinken will represent the US at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Skopje, North Macedonia, the official said.

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• OSCE meeting: Russia says it is not negotiating with the US, but “other countries demanded” contacts

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