NATO weighs Russia's security offer to end Ukraine standoff

NATO foreign ministers are discussing Russia’s military build-up around Ukraine

BRUSSELS -- NATO foreign ministers on Friday discussed Russia’s military build-up around Ukraine amid skepticism about the credibility of President Vladimir Putin’s offer to ease tensions, ahead of a week of high-level diplomacy aimed at ending the standoff.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts held online talks to prepare for the first meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in more than two years. That meeting on Wednesday in Brussels will give NATO ambassadors the chance to discuss Putin’s security proposals with Russia’s envoy face to face.

It’s all part of a flurry of meetings involving NATO, senior U.S. and Russian officials and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe set for next week.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that it's important to speak with Russia about its concerns, and that he will talk again with Putin “in the coming days.”