US announces strengthening NATO defenses to guard against Russian aggression

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Photo: AP

In an interview with Swedish Television, Mr. Blinken said that the important thing is to make Ukraine capable of defending itself, emphasizing that this is what the US and a number of other countries are helping Kiev with.

Secretary of State Blinken commented: "NATO itself is a defensive alliance, a transparent alliance. If NATO's defense capabilities need to be enhanced due to Russian aggression, (...) then we will do that." Secretary of State Blinken once again emphasized that the United States firmly supports Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He stressed: "That is vitally important not only for Ukraine, but also because it is consistent with some of the basic principles of international relations, allowing us to have a more peaceful and secure international environment."

The US Secretary of State expressed hope that "Russia will decide to de-escalate, withdraw its troops, and take diplomatic measures to resolve the current disagreements." The head of the US State Department affirmed: "President Biden told President Putin when they met in Geneva a few months ago that we strongly support a stable and predictable relationship with Russia. There are areas where our interests coincide and we can and should work together, for example, both Washington and Moscow oppose Iran's possession of nuclear weapons. But if Russia moves in a confrontational and aggressive direction against Ukraine, it will also mean that they are moving in a direction that is completely contrary to stable and predictable relations."./.