U.S. Secretary Blinken engages in critical talks in Paris and Brussels

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has touched down in Paris, with plans to head to Belgium for critical discussions on a host of pivotal issues, Voice of America reported on April 1.

Blinken plans to discuss the situations in Ukraine, Gaza and Haiti, as well as hold trade talks with the European Union and Armenia.

While in Paris, Blinken is set to convene with President Macron to deliberate on bolstering support for Kyiv, deterring the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, and promoting stability in Haiti. Additionally, Blinken is expected to affirm U.S. backing for UNESCO.

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The Secretary's itinerary includes a stop in Brussels for a NATO foreign ministers' meeting. Here, Blinken will hold talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Blinken will hold a trilateral meeting between the EU and Armenia on April 5. The delegations will be led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The parties will discuss U.S. and EU support for Armenia's economic stability.

In Belgium, Blinken is also slated for separate discussions with the EU focusing on trade and technology exchanges.

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Ahead of these meetings, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized France's status as a stalwart ally, noting ongoing productive collaborations, particularly in backing Ukraine. However, Miller clarified that the U.S. has no plans to deploy troops to Ukraine. When probed about potential discussions on Western military assistance to Ukraine in Paris, Miller chose not to delve into specifics, stating he would "not preview the meeting in detail."

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