News analysis

US faces conundrum in showdown with Russia over Ukraine

Too forceful a response could spark war, but conciliatory tone would embolden Moscow

Ukrainian soldiers in the country's Donetsk region on Wednesday. If Russian sources are to be believed, Ukraine may be planning to either retake the Crimea peninsula, a Ukrainian territory Russia invaded and annexed in 2014, or overrun the two enclav
Ukrainian soldiers in the country's Donetsk region on Wednesday. If Russian sources are to be believed, Ukraine may be planning to either retake the Crimea peninsula, a Ukrainian territory Russia invaded and annexed in 2014, or overrun the two enclaves of ethnic Russian rebels inside Ukraine. PHOTO: REUTERS
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held a round of emergency meetings with his counterparts from key European countries to coordinate a unified Western response to the recent massing of Russian troops at the border between Russia and Ukraine.

After a meeting in Brussels with the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and Italy - held at the headquarters of Nato, the US-led military alliance in Europe - Mr Blinken pledged America's "unwavering support" for Ukraine's independence.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 16, 2021, with the headline US faces conundrum in showdown with Russia over Ukraine. Subscribe