Blinken, Rau discuss cooperation in support of Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has assured Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau that Russia would face serious consequences in the event of its further aggression against Ukraine.

Blinken and Rau spoke about this in a phone call held on Tuesday, December 28, at the request of the U.S. side, Ukrinform reports, citing the Polish Foreign Ministry.

"The foreign policy chiefs of Poland and the United States discussed the current security situation in Europe, including the escalation of the actions of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine, as well as Belarus holding a hybrid attack on the border with Poland. Secretary Blinken reiterated President [Joe] Biden's words about the strong reaction of the U.S. and its allies in the event of Russia's aggression against Ukraine," the statement said.

Commenting on the situation in Ukraine and Belarus, Blinken stressed the need for close allied cooperation within the OSCE during Poland's presidency of the organization in 2022. Blinken and Rau emphasized the need to coordinate actions in support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, reiterating that any further military aggression would have serious consequences for Russia.

The Polish Foreign Ministry added that the two countries' foreign ministers agreed that the dialogue with Russia should be based on the principles of diplomacy and deterrence, in close coordination between allies.

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