NATO chief Stoltenberg cautions Russia against 'provocation’ with Ukraine amid tensions

Amid concerns arising from United States authorities suggesting that Russia is in preparations to launch a winter offensive in Ukraine, Secretary-General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg has warned Moscow stating that there should be no additional provocation or aggressive actions against Ukraine, The Guardian reported. The US expressed their concerns after sighting a movement of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border. Further, on Monday, Jens Stoltenberg called on the Putin administration to be transparent about its military actions near Ukraine.

Last week, the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy, claimed that Russia had deployed almost 100,000 troops along the country's border which incited Washington to comment that Moscow has been trying to repeat its 2014 invasion. However, NATO chief Stoltenberg did not imply that Moscow is planning an invasion of its former Soviet neighbour, as per the Associated Press.

NATO chief's remarks on Russia-Ukraine tensions

“We have seen large and unusual concentrations of Russian forces close to Ukraine’s borders. Nato remains vigilant … Any further provocation or aggressive actions by Russia would be of serious concern. We call on Russia to be transparent about its military activities,” Jens Stoltenberg was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

Stoltenberg made the remarks during a meeting with Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, at NATO headquarters in Brussels. In the meeting, both the officials acknowledged the crisis in the border area and discussed "the security situation in and around Ukraine." As per The Guardian, Stoltenberg stated, "We have to be clear-eyed. We need to be realistic about the challenges we face. And what we see is a significant, large Russian military buildup.”

Furthermore, by the end of last month, satellite pictures and video footage have been shared on social media which revealed that tanks, ammunition, as well as short-range ballistic missiles, were on the movement in Ukraine and Belarus' border areas. In addition to that, fresh military gear train shipments were detected in southern Russia as well as in the far Urals area and on the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. 

Meanwhile, According to State Department spokesman Ned Price, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday regarding possible Russian action against Ukraine. The conflict between Ukraine and Russia erupted in the year 2014 owing to Russia's invasion. The conflict first started in eastern Ukraine. Russian soldiers have mostly engaged with the Ukrainian army in the border with firing and shelling, yet, following the summer of 2014, there were no big military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine.   

(Image: AP/ Representative Image)