NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that the military alliance is not seeing any sign of a Russian troop pullout from the border with Ukraine despite Moscow's claim of a partial withdrawal.
Speaking at the beginning of a two-day NATO Foreign Ministers' meet in Brussels on Tuesday, the NATO chief said "Unfortunately, I cannot confirm that Russia is withdrawing its troops."
"And this massive military buildup can in no way contribute to a de-escalation of the situation" along Ukraine's eastern border with Russia, he told reporters.
According to U.S. officials, about 40,000 Russian soldiers are deployed near the Russia-Ukraine boundary.
Rasmussen said that the NATO ministers will make clear that Russia's actions are unacceptable. "We will take decisions on which cooperation with Russia is still appropriate. Because through its actions, Russia has undermined the principles on which our partnership is built, and has breached its own international commitments. So we cannot go on doing business as usual," he added.
The NATO Secretary General said that during the two-day ministerial, the Foreign Ministers will show their steadfast commitment to Allied collective defense in the wake of the Ukraine crisis and agree on ways to support Ukraine. Rasmussen vowed that "Defense starts with deterrence so we will take the necessary steps to make it clear to the world that no threat against NATO Allies will succeed."
Russia's aggression against Ukraine "challenges our vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace,"the Secretary General told reporters, adding that "It fundamentally changes Europe's security landscape and it causes instability right on NATO's borders".
The ministers' first working session will focus on increasing support for Ukraine and on the consequences of Russia's illegal military actions against Ukraine for NATO-Russia relations. They will also meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Deshchytsia in a session of the NATO-Ukraine Commission. "We will agree on ways to support our partner Ukraine, with political and practical measures within the framework of our long-standing partnership." He stressed that "An independent, sovereign and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and respect for human rights, minorities, and the rule of law, is key to Euro-Atlantic security."
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