Vladimir Putin could be planning an invasion of Ukraine, according to NATO. The US Secretary of State appears to have evidence that Russia is planning “major aggressive actions against Ukraine.”
Consequently, NATO allies declare themselves ready to impose tough economic sanctions on Moscow.
“Now, we do not know if President Putin has made the decision to invade. What we do know is that he is putting in place the ability to do so in the short term if he so decides. So, despite the uncertainty about the intentions and the timetable, we must prepare for all contingencies while working to reverse Russia, “said Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State,
Russia, for its part, denounces NATO military exercises near borders from the country and Kiev is accused of wanting to acquire Western weapons. Vladimir Putin proposes negotiations, and on Wednesday called for “concrete agreements” that prevent further expansion of NATO.
“Everyone knows the verbal assurances that NATO will not expand eastward, but the exact opposite has been done. In fact, Russia’s legitimate security concerns have been ignored and continue to be ignored,” says the president of Russia Vladimir Putin.
No decision was made at the NATO Foreign Ministers Summit in Riga, but the message sent from here is loud and clear. Russia has to ease the tension on the Ukrainian borders. The ministers of all NATO member states appear to be unanimous in stating that a high price will have to be paid if there is military action against Ukraine.
Ukraine is not a member of NATO. So when we talk about price, we talk about political and economic sanctions. And again, NATO cannot sanction Russia directly. That has to be done by each member state, and NATO promises to coordinate it.
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