WASHINGTON, January 3. / TASS /. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Monday discussed by phone with a representative of the Bucharest Nine countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Czech Republic and Estonia) the situation on the border between the Russian Federation and Ukraine and the Russian side attributed to the build-up of forces. This is stated in a statement by the head of the press service of the State Department Ned Price.

“The Secretary of State and the Foreign Ministers discussed the destabilizing situation of the build-up of Russian forces along the border with Ukraine, the united and decisive position of NATO on the issue of collective defense of the allies, as well as transatlantic cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” the text says.

“The Secretary of State has reaffirmed the US commitment to containment and defense and dialogue,” Price said. “They also expressed solidarity with Lithuania in the face of political pressure and economic coercion from the PRC,” the statement said.

Recently, in Western countries, as well as in Kiev, an assertion has been made about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov called such information empty and baseless escalation of tension. He admits that Russia poses no threat to anyone. At the same time, he did not rule out the likelihood of provocations to justify such statements and warned that attempts to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine by force would have the most serious consequences.