NATO is uncertain of Russia’s intentions towards Ukraine, and is not planning to deploy alliance combat troops to the country at this stage, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has announced.
“We are not planning to deploy NATO combat troops to Ukraine, that’s correct,” Stoltenberg said, speaking at a Washington-based think tank’s virtual forum on Friday.
“There is no certainty about the Russian plans and maybe they have not made any final decision. From the NATO perspective we are ready to engage in political dialogue but also, we are ready to respond if Russia chooses an armed confrontation. We are ready for both options,” the alliance chief noted.
Stoltenberg claimed that “Russian aggression” against its neighbor may not be limited to a ground invasion, and that there were other methods Moscow could use, such as cyberattacks, a coup attempt, or sabotage. “We need to be prepared for a wide range of different forms of aggression,” he said.
Stoltenberg also admitted that there are some “disagreements” and “differences” among NATO allies at the moment regarding “what kind of support” should be provided, with some allies expressing hesitation when it comes to the provision of lethal military equipment.
Earlier this week, Germany reiterated that it would not deploy military equipment to Ukraine, suggesting that the best Berlin could do was to provide 5,000 combat helmets for the Ukrainian military.
On Tuesday, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic promised to withdraw all Croatian military personnel from the region in the event of a Russia-Ukraine war, saying the conflict has “nothing to do with Ukraine or Russia, [but] has to do with the dynamics of the US’s domestic policy.” On Friday, Romania – traditionally considered to be one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters in Eastern Europe, also announced that Bucharest would not get involved militarily Ukraine in the event of an escalation.
Also this week, the Pentagon announced that 8,500 US troops on US soil had been placed on high alert and prepared for deployment in Ukraine, possibly as part of a larger NATO response force. However, CNN has reported, citing anonymous officials, that Washington’s focus has been on cobbling together a “coalition of the willing” to deploy additional NATO forces in Eastern Europe, including Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, but not Ukraine. Separately, UK Defense chief Ben Wallace promised to provide Kiev with additional military equipment and training assistance, but stopped short of making any security guarantees. Wallace pointed out that Russia has “the biggest armed forces in Europe,” and noted that Ukraine “is not a member of NATO.” Instead, he said, London’s measures were about “helping Ukraine help themselves.”
Source: Sputnik
