Blinken will visit Latvia and Sweden next week for NATO, OSCE talks
WASHINGTON, November 26 (Reuters) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Latvia and Sweden next week to attend transatlantic and European security meetings and hold bilateral talks, the State Department said on Friday.
The trip, which will take place between November 29 and December 2, comes at a time of growing tension between Russia and the Western military alliance following a build-up of Russian forces near the border with Ukraine.
While in Riga, Blinken will attend a meeting with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and hold bilateral talks with NATO counterparts. In the Swedish capital Stockholm, ministers from members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will discuss concerns about Europe-Eurasia’s security environment, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
US, NATO and Ukrainian officials have sounded the alarm in recent weeks over what they say are unusual Russian troop movements closer to Ukraine, suggesting that Moscow may be ready to launch a new attack on its neighbor, accusations that Russia has rejected as fear.
Russia’s intentions remain unclear, with tensions between East and West high with Ukraine, Russia and NATO all conducting military exercises and Moscow accusing Washington of repeating a nuclear attack on Russia earlier this month.
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Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Tim Ahmann, editing by Timothy Heritage and Philippa Fletcher
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.