U.S. to closely monitor Russia's actions in coming weeks

The United States intends to continue to coordinate closely with its allies and partners in Europe to respond to escalatory actions by Russia, according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

He said this at a press briefing in Washington on Monday, November 15, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We have made very clear that escalatory actions by Russia would be of great concern to the United States. They are of great concern to our allies and partners. Several of our European allies have had their own high-level discussions with the Russian Federation and they've voiced very similar messages. So we will continue to coordinate closely with our partners and allies throughout Europe and more broadly in the face of these actions," Price said.

He stressed that the United States and other Western countries "hope for a relationship with Russia that is more stable and more predictable."

"But hope is not a strategy. And we are going to watch very closely as the Russian Federation chooses its actions in the coming days and weeks," Price said.

The German and French foreign ministers earlier issued a joint statement calling on Russia to refrain from escalating tensions on the border with Ukraine. In addition, they warned Moscow of the catastrophic consequences of its aggression.

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