Blinken to travel to Europe to meet NATO allies

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to Europe to consult with NATO allies and other European partners as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.

Blinken will travel to Belgium, Poland and Moldova, as well as the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia from March 3 to 8, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

Russia’s war with Ukraine has entered its seventh day, but fighting is only projected to escalate despite the defense Ukraine has been able to maintain thus far.

The U.S. and other allies have continued to place economic pressure on Moscow, imposing crippling sanctions while providing Kyiv with defense capabilities. The Biden administration earlier on Monday unveiled a new round of sanctions targeting the defense sectors of Russia as well as Belarus, which has been a staging ground for Russian troops entering Ukraine.

Blinken will first travel to Belgium, where he will participate in a NATO Foreign Ministerial on March 4 and hold additional meetings, Price said. He will then travel to Poland on March 5, where he will meet with his Polish counterpart, Zbigniew Rau, to discuss further security assistance.

Blinken will then go to Moldova, where he will speak with President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița and Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu on the country’s efforts to assist refugees fleeing Ukraine. 

The secretary will then travel to Lithuania, Latvia and Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, from March 6-8. While he is in those countries, Blinken will “discuss joint efforts to support Ukraine, strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense, promote democracy and human rights, and pursue deeper economic and energy cooperation with our Baltic Allies,” Price said.