WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – Because of the Ukraine conflict, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is taking part in the Munich Security Conference. On the fringes of the conference, he will coordinate with allies and partners in order to continue to jointly call on Russia to de-escalate and seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict, as the Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday. The willingness to act in a united and strong manner should Russia invade Ukraine will also be emphasized, it said. In addition, Blinken wants to hold bilateral talks to further strengthen transatlantic cooperation.
Blinken’s trip should therefore last from Thursday to Sunday. The ministry initially gave no information on exact dates. US Vice President Kamala Harris, whose trip had previously been announced, will also attend the meeting in Munich.
On Saturday, the foreign ministers of the leading democratic economic powers want to meet on the fringes of the conference to discuss the Ukraine crisis, as a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin confirmed. Germany currently chairs the G7 group, which also includes the US, France, the UK, Italy, Canada and Japan.
The security conference takes place in Munich from Friday to Sunday. The participants will also include Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj./jbz/DP/he