US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken accused Russia of planning military action in Ukraine recently, while NATO affirmed that its support for Ukraine in protecting its eastern borders is consistent, and Ukraine called on European countries to stand with it.

During the NATO ministerial meeting in the Latvian capital Riga, Blinken said, "We are very concerned by evidence that Russia has prepared plans for hostile actions against Ukraine in recent weeks."

He added that NATO was ready to bolster its defenses on the Eastern Front, and was ready to impose heavy costs if any further Russian aggression occurred in Ukraine.

"We have made it clear that we will respond with strong economic measures if Russia invades Ukraine," he added.

"We urge Russia and Ukraine to return to dialogue within the framework of the Minsk agreement," Blinken added, stressing that there is a diplomatic path that can be followed and that his country does not seek confrontation.

The US Secretary of State explained that the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency visited Russia and informed it of its concerns.

Blinken also said he would tell his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Thursday that Russia should withdraw its military reinforcements.


Ukraine's demands

For his part, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Europe should show its strength now to avoid having to show it later, considering that the movements of Russian forces indicate possible action against his country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russia to engage in direct negotiations with the aim of stopping what he called the war in the east of the country.

In a speech to parliament, Zelensky called on all political forces in the country to unite to regain control of Ukrainian lands, adding that the Ukrainian army is the best in the world and will protect the country, as he put it.

NATO support

In turn, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that cooperation with the European Union is important for maintaining security between Europe and the United States, considering that any Russian aggression "will have a heavy price and serious political and economic consequences."

"We are strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities by training its forces and providing them with information. Our support for Ukraine's territorial integrity is complete and unwavering," he added.

Stoltenberg said that the alliance has wide options to meet this challenge, including economic, political and financial sanctions, noting also that NATO is strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities by training its forces, providing them with information and urging it to complete its steps to join the alliance.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at the conference (Anadolu Agency)

Russia's position

Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his part, has expressed concern about the way the West is behaving in an attempt to rein in what he described as Russia's development.

While receiving the credentials of the new ambassadors of foreign countries in Russia, Putin said, "It is enough to look at how close the NATO military infrastructure is to the Russian borders. This is the most dangerous for us. In light of these developments, we are taking appropriate military measures."

Putin considered that diplomacy now has a top priority task, which is to seek strong, reliable and legal long-term security guarantees for NATO's eastward expansion.

Putin suggested starting a dialogue with the West to develop specific agreements that would rule out any further NATO moves to the east and the deployment of threatening weapons systems in the immediate vicinity.

As for Lavrov, he said that tension with the West can be eliminated exclusively through dialogue, and added that NATO continues its efforts to bring Ukraine into its orbit and turn it into a country hostile to Russia.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, about ten thousand soldiers have started "periodic winter" exercises in the southern regions, part of which borders the border with Ukraine.

Kiev had earlier called on its allies to take immediate action to prevent Russia from invading its lands, stressing that Moscow might start an attack in the blink of an eye, as it put it.