Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Jan. 10, two days ahead of the scheduled crisis talks between Russia and NATO.
After the face-to-face talks with Stoltenberg, Kuleba will take part in a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Commission.
"This is part of a large-scale diplomatic effort to deter Russian aggression," said Kuleba. The minister highlighted the importance of Ukraine's participation in all talks concerning Russia's military buildup near Ukrainian borders.
Meanwhile, high-ranking officials from the U.S. and Russia are set to hold two days of bilateral talks in Geneva on Jan. 10, amid threats of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
The diplomatic discussions follow months of tensions caused by Russia’s buildup of 122,000 troops on Ukraine’s border and in the occupied territories, in preparation for a possible invasion this winter.
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The U.S. and its European allies have warned Russia of serious consequences if it launches a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia accused NATO of placing missiles on its doorstep and demanded guarantees that Ukraine will not become a member, a demand the alliance and Washington have thus far refused to grant.
An emergency meeting of NATO's foreign ministers has been set for Jan. 7, to discuss "Russia's military capabilities in and around Ukraine and European security in general."
Russia already invaded Ukraine in 2014, occupying Crimea and eastern part of the Donbas in an ongoing war which has thus far killed over 13,000 people. 79 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in action in 2021.
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