Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane before departure from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland as he travels to Brussels for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, November 27, 2023. Photo by Saul Loeb/Pool via Reuters
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is turning his attention to Ukraine, NATO and the Western Balkans after weeks of intense focus on Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Blinken has spent much of the last month and a half deeply engaged in the crisis in Gaza, making two trips to the Middle East. Now, amidst the signs that a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas set to expire Monday could be extended, Blinken leaves for Brussels for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
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In Brussels, the alliance will reaffirm its support for Ukraine’s defense against Russian invasion, explore ways to ease tensions between Kosovo and Serbia and review preparations for NATO’s 75th anniversary this year. next.
The two-day session on Tuesday and Wednesday will include the first foreign ministers-level meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a body created by alliance leaders at their last summit to improve cooperation and coordination and help to prepare Kiev for possible membership.
“Allies will continue to support Ukraine’s self-defense until Russia ends its war of aggression,” said Jim O’Brien, the top U.S. diplomat for Europe.
In a call with reporters Monday, O’Brien said Blinken may travel to Skopje, North Macedonia, after Brussels for a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he plans to attend the OSCE meeting, which could pave the way for a US-Russian confrontation over Ukraine.
The NATO meeting in Brussels will also address the situation in the Western Balkans, where there are calls for NATO to increase its military presence, amid fears that hostility between Serbia and Kosovo could escalate into a real conflict.
Violence between the two countries has broken out twice in recent months, and Western countries fear that Russia is trying to sow unrest in the Balkans to distract from the war in Ukraine.
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Last week, Albania’s prime minister urged NATO to further strengthen its military forces in Kosovo and secure the country’s borders with Serbia, warning that recent ethnic violence in Kosovo could potentially trigger a wider Balkan conflict. NATO has already boosted its military presence in Kosovo – established after the 1999 bombing campaign against Serbia – with around 1,000 additional troops and heavier weapons, bringing its deployment there to around 4,500 troops.
Blinken will emphasize U.S. and NATO support for democracy and regional stability in the region, including their commitment to supporting all countries’ aspirations to join the European Union, O’Brien said.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s official declaration of independence in 2008. Both countries want to join the European Union, which mediates dialogue between the former enemies. Brussels warned the two countries that refusing to compromise would jeopardize their chances of joining the bloc.
Besides Ukraine and the Western Balkans, the ministers will also discuss plans for the alliance’s 75th anniversary summit, to be held in Washington in July 2024, during which the allies will celebrate the founding of NATO and implement ahead of what leaders call the most successful military alliance in history.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane before departing Joint Base Andrews in Maryland as he travels to Brussels for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, November 27, 2023. Photo by Saul Loeb/Pool via Reuters