BRUSSELS, January 16. /TASS/. EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a phone conversation on Saturday to reaffirm US and EU plans to coordinate their actions and policies related to Russia, the EU External Action Service said in a statement.
"High Representative Borrell and Secretary Blinken rejected Russian initiative to re-build spheres of influence in Europe and underlined their determination to continue intense consultations on this and other issues between the US and EU - presenting a strong, clear and united transatlantic front," the statement says.
According to the document, "the close coordination between the European Union and the United States on recent developments related to Russia and Ukraine continues at the highest level."
"High Representative Borrell and Secretary Blinken reaffirmed support to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and emphasised the need for Russia to de-escalate and fully implement the Minsk agreements. They reviewed ongoing preparations of deterrent measures and of a robust international reaction with massive consequences for Russia in case of any further aggression against Ukraine," the statement says.
The two top diplomats also repeated that "the EU and US remain open to dialogue with Russia, but never at the expense of freedom, sovereignty, independence of members of transatlantic community and their partners."
Meanwhile, the US Department of State said in a statement that Blinken and Borrell "discussed their close coordination, alongside NATO Allies and European partners, to respond to Russia’s continued deeply troubling military buildup in and near Ukraine."
"Secretary Blinken reaffirmed that further Russian aggression against Ukraine will be met with swift, severe, and coordinated consequences," the document says.
The West and Kiev have recently been spreading allegations about Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov castigated these claims as "empty and unfounded", serving as a ploy to escalate tensions, pointing out that Russia did not pose any threat whatsoever to anyone. However, Peskov did not rule out the possibility of provocations aimed at justifying such allegations and warned that attempts to use military force to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine would have serious consequences.