Riga (Latvia): NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said the organisation has a responsibility to ensure the Ukraine-Russia conflict doe not extend beyond.
Speaking at a press conference in Riga with the Latvian President Egils Levits, Stoltenberg said, “We have a responsibility to ensure the conflict does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine. That would be even more dangerous, destructive, and even more deadly. The situation could spiral out of control.”
In response to the situation and to “make sure there is no room for miscalculation in Moscow” NATO has “significantly strengthened” its presence in the eastern part of the alliance, CNN quoted the chief as saying.
He said, “We have 130 jets at high alert. Over 200 ships from the high north to the Mediterranean, and 1000s of additional troops in the region.” He further assured that the NATO will “protect and defend every inch of allied territory”.
Earlier, the NATO had refused to get directly involved in the conflict. It also rejected Ukraine’s demand to set up a no-fly zone.
