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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg PHOTO: Reuters
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The EU and NATO must work closely together against the hybrid campaign of (President of Belarus) Alexander Lukashenko, said today the Secretary General of the Alliance Jens Stoltenberg, BTA reported.
Earlier today, it was announced that Stoltenberg and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would travel together to Lithuania and Latvia on Sunday. A meeting of the foreign ministers of the pact countries is scheduled for next week in the Latvian capital.
The growing Russian military presence on the border with Ukraine will be among the main topics of the ministerial meeting, Stoltenberg said at a press conference on the upcoming event. For the second time this year, we are seeing an unusual gathering of Russian tanks, artillery, drones and electronic systems, as well as troops on standby, along the Ukrainian border, the secretary general said. He called on Russia to calm the situation. We continue to believe in meaningful dialogue, especially in times like today, Stoltenberg added.
He described Russia’s actions on the Ukrainian border as inexplicable and unprovoked. According to him, it is not clear what Moscow’s intentions are, but in previous similar cases, Russia invaded Ukraine and captured Crimea. If Russia uses force, there will be consequences, so we call for reassurance, Stoltenberg added.
The Secretary General added that the forthcoming meeting in Riga will discuss the issues of Russian tests of anti-satellite weapons, the non-transparent development of the Chinese armed forces, the situation in Afghanistan. He noted that the ministers would also discuss the Western Balkans, which are of strategic importance to NATO. The region has come a long way since the conflicts of the 1990s, but we have recently seen rising tensions, Stoltenberg said.
Lukashenko, NATO, EC, Stoltenberg
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