Nato accused Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday of frightening “the most serious escalation” of the warfare in Ukraine because it started, however stated he wouldn’t achieve deterring the alliance from supporting Kyiv.
“We have the combination of the mobilisation in Russia, combined with the reckless, dangerous nuclear rhetoric, and then today’s illegal annexation, or attempt to annex parts of Ukraine,” Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated.
“Together this is the most serious escalation of the conflict since the start and the aim of President Putin is to deter us from supporting Ukraine. But he will not succeed in that,” he informed a information convention.
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He was talking after Putin proclaimed Russia’s annexation of a swathe of Ukraine at a Kremlin ceremony, promising Moscow would triumph in its “special military operation” in opposition to Kyiv at the same time as a few of his troops confronted potential defeat.
Putin’s proclamation of Russian rule over 15% of Ukraine- the most important annexation in Europe since World War Two has been firmly rejected by Western international locations and even a lot of Russia’s shut allies.
Stoltenberg stated Russia’s transfer was “the largest attempted annexation of European territory by force since the Second World War”, including that an space roughly the dimensions of Portugal had been “illegally seized by Russia at gunpoint”.
“The sham referendums were engineered in Moscow and imposed on Ukraine in total violation of international law. This land grab is illegal and illegitimate.
“Nato allies don’t and won’t recognise any of this territory as a part of Russia,” he added. “We name on all states to reject Russia’s blatant makes an attempt at territorial conquest These lands are Ukraine.”
He said Nato was not a party to the conflict, but it reaffirmed its “unwavering assist” for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and would proceed to assist the nation in defending itself in opposition to Russia.
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