Blinken meets with NATO, EU allies in Brussels as Trump win stokes fears for Ukraine

NEWS WIRES

12 November 2024 at 11:09 pm·1-min read

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks to the press following a North Atlantic Council Meeting at NATO's headquarters during his one-day visit in Brussels for Ukraine talks with the NATO chief, European Union diplomacy boss and Ukraine's foreign minister, November 13, 2024, Brussels.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held emergency talks with European allies in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss how to support Ukraine in the weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. He warned that Russia's deployment of North Korean troops at the Ukrainian border demanded a "firm response".

US top diplomat Antony Blinken warned Wednesday that the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russian forces on the Ukrainian border demanded a "firm response," during talks with top EU and NATO officials.

The secretary of state was in Brussels to confer with Washington's allies on ramping up support for Kyiv before Donald Trump reclaims the White House -- potentially jeopardising future aid.

Addressing reporters alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte, Blinken said they had discussed the entry of Pyongyang's forces "into the battle, and now, quite literally, in combat -- which demands and will get a firm response."

The US State Department confirmed Tuesday that thousands of North Korean troops have begun "engaging in combat operations" alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region, near the border with Ukraine.

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