New aggression toward Ukraine from Russia could “trigger serious consequences,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials have expressed concern in recent weeks about a possible invasion from Russia. Their belief is based in part on Russia amassing troops near the border, expanding its presence there.
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Blinken described the “buildup of forces” as “unusual troop movements along Ukraine’s border” and said the country is promoting “increasingly belligerent rhetoric” during a joint press conference with Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics in Riga.
“I’ll have a lot more to say about that tomorrow after I’ve had a chance to consult with our allies in the NATO meetings that started this afternoon,” Blinken added. “But for now, let me just reiterate that any escalatory actions by Russia would be of great concern to the United States, as they would to Latvia, and any renewed aggression can trigger serious consequences.”
Rinkevics said the troop buildup is “highly concerning,” and he expressed that he is “extremely grateful” to the U.S. for its “contribution to regional security and the national security of Latvia in developing them, both on a practical and political level,” according to CNN.
This is not the first time Blinken has issued a warning to Russia about Ukraine.
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He and his Ukrainian counterpart met about three weeks ago, and in a press conference following the meeting, Blinken said new aggression on Russia’s part would be a “serious mistake,” according to the New York Times.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said there were roughly 90,000 troops near its border earlier this month, though U.S. officials said in May that as many as 80,000 Russian troops were there.
In addition to the border situation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced at a press conference last week that officials had discovered evidence of a planned coup scheduled for this week with possible connections to Russia.
