Blinken, Turkish Foreign Minister discuss coordination efforts amid threat of Russian escalation in Ukraine: State Dept

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu coordination efforts regarding the threat of Russian escalation in Ukraine as well as the normalization process with Armenia, said State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a statement on Monday (local time).

"Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu discussed the importance of continued coordination regarding the threat of Russian escalation in Ukraine. They also discussed issues related to the Horn of Africa, Turkey's appointment of a Special Envoy to discuss the process of normalization with Armenia," Price said.

The two diplomats also discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation as NATO allies in areas of mutual concern, he added in the statement issued by US State Department.

Yesterday, US President Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a call that the United States and its allies will "respond decisively" if Russia invades Ukraine.

In a White House statement, President Biden expressed support for diplomatic efforts, starting next week with the bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue, at NATO through the NATO-Russia Council, and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The call comes days before Russian and US officials are set to meet in person in Geneva on January 10 amid a Russian military buildup on the Ukraine border and ongoing tensions.

The US and NATO have voiced concerns over Russia's alleged preparations for invading Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations, saying that Russia has the right to relocate the troops within its territory at its own discretion, while NATO's military activity near Russian borders poses a threat to its security.

( With inputs from ANI )