NATO chief sounds alarm over Russian activity in eastern Ukraine

[Boats]

NATO chief sounds alarm over Russian activity in eastern Ukraine
By: War Is Boring Politics - 04-06-21
Re: https://warisboring.com/nato-chief-s...stern-ukraine/

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a joint session of Congress on April 3, 2019, in Washington, D.C. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg voiced concern about recent Russian military activity in and around Ukraine as well as ceasefire violations in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy.

“NATO firmly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the military alliance chief tweeted on Tuesday after the conversation, in a warning to Moscow.

Amid reports of Russian troop deployments, concern is growing that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could escalate again.

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula seven years ago after a controversial referendum. Parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions along the Russian border are controlled by rebels supported by Moscow.

As a result of the fighting with government troops, more than 13,000 people have been killed, according to UN estimates.

Despite an agreed ceasefire, there have been repeated deadly clashes in eastern Ukraine in the past few weeks.

Since the beginning of this year alone, at least 24 soldiers have died on the Ukrainian government side. Separatists recently spoke of some 23 people killed in their area.

Zelensky said membership of NATO was “the only way for peace.”

Granting Ukraine a plan to join the alliance would be a “clear signal” for Moscow, Zelensky said, according to a statement released after the call with Stoltenberg.

Ukraine’s armed forces are also continuing to work on adopting Western standards, his office said in a statement.

Moscow warned against allowing Ukraine to become a NATO member.

“We very much doubt that this will help Ukraine solve its internal problem. From our point of view, it will aggravate the situation,” government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

Russia has repeatedly warned against allowing Ukraine to become a NATO member, saying this would be a threat to its security.

Earlier, the United States and Britain expressed similar fears of an escalation in the conflict and affirmed their support for Kiev.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told journalists in a press briefing there were “credible reports” of Russian troop movements along the borders of Ukraine and occupied Crimea.

US President Joe Biden recently reaffirmed to Zelensky Washington’s backing for Kiev, Price noted.

“We have asked Russia for an explanation of these provocations, but most importantly what we have signalled directly with our Ukrainian partners is a message of reassurance,” Price told journalists.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also spoke with Zelensky on Monday, and “reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” according to his spokesperson.

“They agreed to continue working closely with international partners to monitor the situation and ensure there is no further escalation,” Johnson’s spokesperson added.

©2021 dpa GmbH. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Personal note: You can't say you didn't see it coming! NATO has to be more involved in the issues of the world not just their backyard! We - the public are more aware then those in office. Sure it's a situation you want to avoid - but you're up to you knee's because you wait too long to take any action! The world is full of problems - we can't fix them all but we can fix those that are aggressive or at least slow them down. We all have problems at home and social issues that erupt nowadays almost daily. Conflicts all around the globe are many - internal issues are many - so; you guys want to lead and make change have to get more involved - pussy footing around - with little issues won't get it done! Our world has evolved all right into something that could lead to mass-destruction. The people all around the world are looking to the world leader's to fix these issues and also take care of them. If you can't handle these issues or its too much pressure you may want to stand down and let other's who can!
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