After Kyiv go to, Blinken meets U.S. allies in Brussels in bid to take care of unity By Reuters

By Simon Lewis

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived 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 was assembly with NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg and ambassadors from the alliance, partly to report again from his journey, on which he pledged new navy support and was briefed on Ukraine’s counteroffensive towards Russian forces.

A senior State Division official stated 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 danger sapping Western assist for Kyiv as governments attempt to cope with disgruntled populations.

“Crucial cause I feel we’re in Brussels is as a result of what has labored so nicely for us so far has been our unity – unity of goal, unity of motion,” Blinken stated in Poland earlier than taking off for Brussels.

Moscow has cited Western sanctions and technical points for the vitality disruptions. European nations who’ve backed Kyiv with diplomatic and navy assist have accused Russia of weaponising vitality provides.

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

Blinken, in Poland, stated he was assured Europe would take decisive motion to do away with what he referred to as the “chokehold that Russia has on Europe” by gasoline 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, could be far larger,” Blinken stated.