After Kyiv visit, Blinken meets U.S. allies in Brussels in bid to maintain unity

By Simon Lewis

BRUSSELS -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Brussels on Friday after a go to to Kyiv, as Washington seeks to strengthen unity as Europe faces a winter of raised vitality prices.

Blinken met NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg and ambassadors from the alliance, partly to report again from his journey, on which he pledged new army assist and was briefed on Ukraine’s counteroffensive in opposition to Russian forces.

A senior State Division official mentioned forward of the go to to Brussels that it was a part of the “fixed gardening” the Biden administration has been doing to take care of unity amongst European nations.

Some analysts say the shortages and a surge in residing prices as winter approaches threat sapping Western help for Kyiv as governments attempt to cope with disgruntled populations.

“President Putin thought that he may divide and weaken NATO. Right this moment, the alliance is stronger, extra unified and higher resourced that ever earlier than,” Blinken mentioned at a information convention following the conferences.

Stoltenberg mentioned strain on vitality provides and the hovering value of residing would check “our unity and solidarity.”

“However the worth we pay is measured in cash, whereas the worth Ukrainians are paying is measured in lives, misplaced lives day by day,” he mentioned.

Moscow has cited Western sanctions and technical points for the vitality disruptions. European international locations who've backed Kyiv with diplomatic and army help have accused Russia of weaponising vitality provides.

European Union vitality ministers have been additionally assembly in Brussels on Friday over whether or not to cap Russian fuel costs in hopes of protecting residents and companies from sky-high vitality payments.

Blinken, in Poland, mentioned he was assured Europe would take decisive motion to eliminate what he known as the “chokehold that Russia has on Europe” by means of fuel provides.

Standing as much as Moscow over Ukraine “comes with prices, however the price of inaction, of not doing something, of permitting this to go ahead, can be far larger,” Blinken mentioned earlier on Friday.