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The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, calls for a deterrent package in the conflict with Russia
Photo: TOMS KALNINS / EPA
Ukraine would like NATO to provide even stronger support in the conflict with Russia.
"We will call on the allies to work with Ukraine on a three-tier deterrent package," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday shortly before talks with colleagues from the 30 NATO countries.
The first layer consists of clearly communicating to Russia the consequences of aggressive actions against Ukraine.
Second, there should be a package of economic sanctions that, in the worst case scenario, would be imposed on Russia, and thirdly, even stronger cooperation between NATO and Ukraine in the field of military and defense.
According to Ukraine, 115,000 Russian soldiers on the border
"If we unite and act in a coordinated manner, we are confident that we can prevent President (Vladimir) Putin from choosing the worst-case scenario, which is a military operation," said Kuleba. When asked whether his country is expecting additional arms deliveries, he replied: “Russia wants Ukraine to remain weak. Supporting Ukraine in strengthening its defense capabilities also means deterring Russia. "
The background to the Kuleba appeal is the knowledge of NATO and Ukraine that Russia has once again stationed unusually large contingents of combat-ready troops as well as heavy weapons and drones on the border with Ukraine.
Ukraine now puts the number of Russian soldiers on the border at 115,000.
The developments bring back memories of 2014, when Russia had annexed the Crimean peninsula.
Germany and the United States warned Russia of an attack on Ukraine on Tuesday.
"Russia would have to pay a high price for any form of aggression," declared the Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said "any new aggression would have serious consequences."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an event in Moscow on Tuesday that Russia would be forced to act if NATO crossed its “red lines” with regard to Ukraine.
Moscow would view the deployment of certain offensive missiles on Ukrainian soil as a trigger.
Regarding NATO's fears of a possible invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine, Putin said: "It's not about sending troops there or not sending them, fighting or not fighting, but about improving relations." Everyone's security interests international actors would have to be taken into account.
"If we make a sincere effort, no one will experience a threat," Putin said.
svs / dpa / Reuters
