Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has integrated NATO by gathering Russian military forces on Ukraine's borders.
Anchor Dana Bash said, "What are the chances that Vladimir Putin is bluffing?"
Blinken said, "There's always a chance, but every indication we've seen, every move he has made, has followed the drama that we have put the world to see before the Security Council, he has almost followed the script." have followed the letter. I think there's always a chance, everything we're seeing tells us that this is serious, that we're on the verge of an invasion. We're going to try to stop it before it happens. But equally, we are prepared, if it follows through, to impose massive consequences, to defend - to defend Ukraine and to strengthen NATO. is ready.
He said, "Here again, the remarkable thing about this is that whatever President Putin sought to stop, he would have ended everything because all of this has strengthened NATO, its solidarity, its commitment." and strengthened NATO on its eastern side. I was in Munich with the leaders of our European partners, and I think all of us who have been doing this for many years have never seen a time like this When NATO becomes more integrated. I think that's going to demonstrate going forward if Putin goes ahead with the offensive."