NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that although Moscow announced that they had withdrawn after the NATO Defense Ministers meeting in Brussels, they did not see any signs of withdrawal or de-escalation on the ground so far, adding, “NATO is afraid of Russia looking for an excuse to attack Ukraine. He’s worried,” he said.
NATO Defense Ministers met for a two-day meeting in Brussels to find a political solution to the crisis triggered by Russia’s military buildup in and around Ukraine. On the second day of the meeting held at NATO Headquarters, the defense ministers of Ukraine and Georgia also attended the meeting.
Stating that NATO continues to monitor developments on the Ukrainian border very closely, Stoltenberg said, “We call on Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s borders as promised. This will be an important first step towards a peaceful political solution.”
Noting that they discussed the “deteriorating situation in the Black Sea region” at the meetings on the second day, attended by the defense ministers of Ukraine and Georgia, the Secretary General said, “NATO provided strong political and practical support to these two countries, so that Ukraine can protect its right to defend itself arising from the UN Charter. He noted that he was assisting with military equipment, training, intelligence and financial assistance.
Stating that they also discussed the presence of Russian forces in Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions at the meeting, Stoltenberg said, “All allies agree that the Russian Duma’s call for the recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk regions will be a clear violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. And the issue is in the Normandy format. “We call for a political settlement within the framework of the Minsk agreements,” he said.
Underlining that NATO’s open policy continues and that only those countries and their allies can decide whether a country will become a member of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg said, ” The right of every nation to choose its own path is absolutely fundamental to European and transatlantic security. And it must be respected. Now We can’t go back to the era of spheres of influence, where great powers bully and intimidate others. Without Ukraine, no one can decide about Ukraine. The same goes for Georgia. But in tense times, the importance of dialogue becomes more important. NATO is always open to good-faith dialogue with Russia. “We call on Russia to sit down and discuss the security issues of the parties within the framework of the NATO-Russia Council,” he said.
“Russia is looking for an excuse to invade”
At the press conference, Stoltenberg was asked a number of questions, such as “Why is Russia still saying we are withdrawing, but NATO still remains concerned”. “NATO is concerned that Russia is trying to make excuses to invade Ukraine. There is still no clarity, there is no certainty. We do not know what will happen. Many Russian agents are operational in and around Ukraine, in the Donbass region. And they invade Ukraine.” “They are looking for an excuse to do so. Of course, I will not reveal the details of the reports. However, our concerns remain and we continue to monitor them very closely. We are trying to prevent disinformation. We are trying to attract Russia to a political solution,” he said.
A journalist said, “You said Russia could attack on the 16th, it did not attack. You say 100 thousand soldiers, you say 150 thousand. Don’t you also make contradictory statements?” To the question, “We have detected the activities of Russia in the area since last spring. The activities on the Ukrainian border have continued to increase and decrease. However, we have detected an increasing trend since autumn, and then we shared this information. Now these are public information. We know the capabilities of the forces, but we don’t know their intentions. They’ve used force against Ukraine before. Now when you combine all this together, it’s serious anxiety. All this is done to prevent an attack on Ukraine. The real story here is the real message, “We are trying to take precautions now. And we say that if Russia intervenes like this, it will pay a heavy price.”
Stoltenberg emphasized that despite the possibility of Russia staying on the border of Belarus or Ukraine, it follows a strategy of strengthening NATO’s eastern wing, especially in its members such as Poland and Romania, and on the other hand, “continuing the dialogue for peace”.
Call to sit at the table
Reminding the Belarusian government’s statement that they are “concerned that NATO will carry out a nuclear attack”, Stoltenberg emphasized the importance of the security of the Black Sea region and said, “NATO is not a threat, it has been working for security for 70 years, to prevent conflicts and to take precautions. “This is the situation today, why are we worried? For these reasons. NATO wants Russia to come back to the ANF Treaty,” he said.
One journalist asked, “Can you tell us with certainty? Does Russia have enough offensive power? And what kind of invasion?” To the question, Stoltenberg said, “Russia has enough military capacity to attack Ukraine in a very short time at any moment. This is the situation that worries us. It’s not too late for that,” he replied.