NATO to discuss more support against Russian invasion

WASHINGTON – NATO and U.S. officers mentioned Sunday they’d use a particular summit this week to advertise assist for Ukraine in opposition to the Russian invasion, however expressed warning about extra aggressive strikes which may threaten to widen the battle.

NATO is predicted to debate enhancements of the navy, humanitarian, and monetary help they’re giving Ukraine, officers mentioned, whereas stiffening financial sanctions on President Vladimir Putin and Russia.

In a string of Sunday present interviews, U.S. and international safety officers additionally mentioned potential NATO subjects embody the prospect of deploying a peacekeeping power in Ukraine and the possibilities of Russian-Ukrainian peace talks. They once more warned Russia in opposition to using chemical weapons in Ukraine.

NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg, talking on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” mentioned “we have not but selected the precise format of that summit,” however it will likely be a “platform to show our unity, our help to Ukraine, but additionally our readiness to guard and defend all NATO allies.”

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Proclaiming unity inside the U.S.-European navy alliance, Stoltenberg mentioned “by sending that message, we’re stopping an escalation of the battle to a full-fledged conflict between NATO and Russia.”

U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to attend the summit Thursday in Brussels.

Heading into the summit, Poland has proposed creation of a peacekeeping power, however officers mentioned they have no idea if NATO is keen to take such provocative motion at this level.

Marek Magierowski, Poland’s ambassador to the USA, informed CNN’s “State of the Union: “It is a very preliminary idea.”

U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, additionally on CNN, mentioned American troops won’t be despatched to Ukraine.

Biden “has been very clear that we are going to not put American troops on the bottom in Ukraine,” Thomas-Greenfield mentioned when requested in regards to the prospect of a peacekeeping power. “We do not wish to escalate this right into a conflict with the USA.”

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International safety officers expressed extra hope for peace talks involving Putin and Ukraine, although they acknowledged that negotiations are additionally within the preliminary levels.

Citing Turkey’s willingness to facilitate negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Stoltenberg informed NBC that “it is too early to say whether or not these or different talks can result in any concrete final result.”

Biden’s schedule for this week’s journey to Europe remains to be being finalized, however officers confirmed that it’ll not embody a go to to Ukraine itself. White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that “the journey might be targeted on persevering with to rally the world in help of the Ukrainian folks and in opposition to President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, however there are not any plans to journey into Ukraine.”

Whereas in Brussels, Biden may even attend a summit of the European Council.

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As they put together for his or her convention, NATO and U.S. officers additionally took alternatives to repeat warnings to Russia from Biden and others in opposition to using chemical weapons in Ukraine. They didn’t specify what the response of NATO, the U.S., or different international locations could be.

Chemical weapons “can be a blatant and brutal violation of worldwide regulation,” Stoltenberg mentioned on NBC. However he added that NATO needs to keep away from turning “a really bloody, ugly, horrific battle in Ukraine to one thing that seems to be a full-fledged conflict between NATO and Russia in Europe and probably involving, after all, the United States straight.”

He added: “That will be extraordinarily harmful and that’s precisely what we have to stop.”