“We don’t see any withdrawals of troops, forces or equipment on the ground,” said Jens Stoltenberg following a meeting with NATO defense ministers in Brussels. Coupled with the cyberattacks targeting Ukraine, “these are the kinds of actions and measures that come before a larger military offensive.”
The Russian Defense Ministry released two videos on Tuesday of tanks boarding trains in the western district or crossing a bridge in Crimea, but these images are considered insignificant by Westerners, for whom these movements do not affect the capabilities of the Russian army to invade Ukraine.
“We know what they have, their capabilities, but we are not certain regarding their intentions,” admitted Mr. Stoltenberg. The latter reaffirmed NATO’s desire to negotiate with Moscow. The Alliance has made written proposals to Russia to restore communications between military leaders, reduce risks (including by limiting exercises near borders) and reactivate arms control, but has not yet received a response .
Russia is sticking to its demands not to see Ukraine join NATO, as decided at the Bucharest summit in 2008 at the instigation of President George Bush and Dick Cheney and once morest the opinion of most European countries.
The ministers asked military leaders to make proposals “in a few weeks” on the deployment of new multinational brigades to the eastern border. France has offered to lead a battle group in Romania.
European heads of state and government will discuss Ukraine on Thursday, on the sidelines of the summit with Africa in Brussels.