Blinken to visit Europe next week for Nato and OSCE talks

Meeting held against backdrop of growing tension at border between Ukraine and Russia

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Stockholm to discuss concerns about regional security. Reuters

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Latvia and Sweden next week to attend Transatlantic and European security meetings and hold bilateral talks, the State Department said on Friday.

The trip, which will take place from November 29 to December 2, comes amid rising tension between Russia and the western military alliance following a build-up of Russian forces near the border of Ukraine.

Mr Blinken will first visit Riga, Latvia, where he will attend the Nato Foreign Ministerial to consult with fellow members on “issues central to the Nato alliance and the security of the transatlantic community”, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

On December 1, Mr Blinken will attend the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Council in Stockholm to discuss concerns about regional security.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also expected to attend the OSCE meeting, the organisation's presidency said on Friday.

It will be the first time since 2017 that the chief diplomats of both Washington and Moscow will attend the annual meeting, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told a press briefing.

The meeting on December 2 and 3 is being held against the backdrop of tension at the border between Ukraine and Russia, with the West worried about a Russian offensive.

Russia's intentions for the meeting are unclear.

This week, the Kremlin opposed US President Joe Biden's democracy summit after Russia was snubbed from the list of 110 invitees.

Moscow also accused US bombers of rehearsing nuclear strikes from two different directions this month and that its planes had come within 20 kilometres of the Russian border.

The OSCE has been trying to boost its role after the 2014 invasion Crimea and a resurgence of tension in the region.

About 50 ministers are expected to attend the meeting in all, including British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Belarus, Stockholm said.

Agencies contributed to this report