The U.S. secretary of state met with European allies rattled by the American election results at a critical moment for Ukraine and the alliance.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Wednesday as the outgoing Biden administration sought to cement support for Ukraine ahead of Donald Trump's return as president.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Belgium to speak with his NATO counterparts, a late addition to his schedule and his first since last week’s presidential election. The State Department announced Tuesday that the secretary is traveling to Brussels through Wednesday “for meetings with his NATO and European Union counterparts to discuss support

Officials meeting in Brussels will discuss Ukraine’s war against Russia amid concerns that the new administration will slash U.S. support for Kyiv.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also issued a stern warning regarding North Korea’s recent deployment of troops to support Russian forces, stating this "demands and will receive a firm response.

BRUSSELS, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured NATO on Wednesday that the Biden administration would bolster its support for Ukraine in the few months before Donald Trump's return as president and would try to strengthen the alliance in that time.

Blinken made a hastily arranged trip to Brussels to reassure NATO and European Union allies that the U.S. will intensify its efforts to send resources to Ukraine ahead of the inauguration of Trump, who has strongly criticized the scale of the U.S. effort to defend Kyiv.

Trump has vowed to put a quick end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, which Kyiv and some European capitals believe could force Ukraine to make painful concessions.