In a statement announced today by the United States Department of State, Secretary of State Anthony Plinkin will visit Kiev and meet Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his counterpart Dmitry Koleba, tomorrow to emphasize the United States commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty.

The Ministry also explained that next Thursday, Plinken will be heading to the German capital Berlin to discuss the recent diplomatic engagement with Russia and joint efforts "to counter any Russian aggression against Ukraine, including the ideas of allies and partners to respond to Russia with serious consequences and significant economic costs."

Relations between Russia and the United States-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have recently been strained by an increased military presence near the Russian border under the pretext of protecting Ukraine from a "potential Russian threat," which Moscow considers to be a breach of the basic document of relations between the two sides, and confirms that Western fears about its preparation for an invasion of Ukraine are incorrect.

A meeting of the Russia-NATO Council was held in Brussels on the 12th of this month, following talks on security assurances between Russia and the United States, on 9 and 10 January 2022, in Geneva.

At the end of 2021, Russia had published a draft agreement with the United States and an agreement with NATO on security assurances.

Moscow demands assurances that NATO will not eastward, and that military bases will not be established in the republics of the former Soviet Union.