WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Ukraine next week in a show of `unwavering` support after Russian troops amassed on its border, the State Department said on Friday.

Russia in recent weeks deployed up to 100,000 troops near Ukraine`s northern and eastern borders as well as in Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014, raising concerns of a major escalation.

But Moscow announced on April 23 that it had started withdrawing its forces, bringing at least momentary relief in Kiev and the Nato alliance.-AFP