Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodora Genchovska held a telephone call with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, discussing “Russia’s destabilizing military buildup along Ukraine’s border”, the US Department of State website writes.

The call was at the request of the American side, and focused on “the need for a united, ready, and resolute NATO stance for the collective defense of Allies”. State Secretary Blinken underscored the United States’ unwavering commitment to Transatlantic security and to NATO’s Article 5. The sides also discussed a “de-escalation through deterrence, defense, and dialogue”.

The call was part of Secretary of State Blinken’s consultations with the foreign ministers of the Bucharest Nine (B9) group of eastern flank NATO Allies – Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.