NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that the alliance is closely monitoring any unusual deployment of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, warning that similar forces have been used by Moscow in the past to intervene in neighboring countries. Speaking at a defense forum in Berlin, Stoltenberg noted that NATO has recently observed a significant military buildup by Russia near its border with Ukraine.
He stated, "We are closely monitoring developments at the border. This is important for NATO, and we have the capacity, we have the capabilities to gather information and monitor the situation closely to understand what is happening there." Stoltenberg reiterated that the alliance has made it clear to Russia: "We see its large military buildup."
He continued, "We see an unusual concentration of forces and we know they have used this type of force before to actually intervene and invade other countries, such as Georgia and Ukraine." Moscow provided military support to separatists in the breakaway region of South Ossetia in Georgia in 2008. Russia also annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and supported a separatist rebellion that broke out last year in eastern Ukraine, which still controls the area there.
Stoltenberg also called on Russia to demonstrate transparency, de-escalate, and help reduce tensions at the border with Ukraine. He highlighted the challenges posed by China due to its increasing influence and economic and military capabilities.
He said, "China's goal is to have the most powerful and advanced military capabilities within a few decades. They are investing; what they are doing now in the nuclear energy field is really significant. They are building many new missile silos and investing in highly advanced technologies." He added, "We see them in Africa. We see them on the Antarctic continent. We see them trying to control important infrastructure. They are approaching us: in space and cyberspace."
