The NATO chief admits that there are disagreements among allies on how to assist Ukraine. Western officials and media have spent months claiming that Russia is poised to invade its neighbor. Moscow has dismissed these allegations, suggesting the Western alliance is using the tensions to justify its continued buildup in Eastern Europe, Sputnik International reports.
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.
