Stoltenberg: NATO forces are ready to get involved
NATO sent Russia a written response to the security demands that Moscow had previously put forward to Washington.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated this at an emergency press conference, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
He said that the North Atlantic Alliance offers Russia to resume the work of its missions, but in return demands the withdrawal of its troops from Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova. At the same time, NATO will not abandon the principle of “open doors” - that is, it reserves the right to expand to the east and accept ex-USSR into the republic.
Amid negotiations with Russia, in the hope of de-escalation, NATO is strengthening its presence, including in the Baltic and Black Sea regions. Stoltenberg claims that NATO's proposals were supported by all 30 members of the alliance.
“Political dialogue is still possible, but Russia must strive in good faith to de-escalate, engage in discussions and work towards a political solution. We listened to her concerns and provided possible paths forward. Regarding NATO membership, we have clearly stated that we will not trample on the rights of states in this regard.
It is important to understand that it is possible to reach an agreement that would be beneficial to both Russia and NATO in terms of arms control. It is possible to renew efforts and reach an agreement. But we are not naive and understand that agreements must be balanced, mutual and verifiable,” Stoltenberg said.
The Secretary General's rhetoric was quite aggressive.
“While we are negotiating a serious dialogue with Russia, we are also increasing our efforts in terms of the combat readiness of our forces to show Russia that the use of force against Ukraine will entail serious consequences. We need absolute security guarantees for all NATO allies.
If Russia decides to use force, there will be serious consequences, including sanctions. They are designed to increase costs for Russia if the Russian Federation takes aggressive actions against Ukraine.
We also address any concerns about our ability to defend our allies. We are increasing the readiness of the NATO response force, and they are ready to step in if necessary,” Stoltenberg said.
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