(FT) Nato alliance secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, has called for more allies to contribute additional military forces, as troops remain on standby to counter potential attack on Ukraine by Moscow.
Nato says it is taking all necessary measures to protect its allies, including protecting the eastern Europe, with fighter jets and ships in wait to repel Russian aggression.
The move happens when Russia has sent more than 106,000 troops close to the Ukrainian border, despite Moscow denying plans to attack the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, has blamed the west for the tensions by sending troops and raising “fake” claims against Russia. He says Russia is focused on security talks to avert a tense situation later. The two-way accusations happen when several countries in Europe have evacuated their citizens, including diplomats from Ukraine over the risks of the Russian attack.
Moscow’s Moex stock index fell more than 7.5 percent, and yields on Russia’s government debt hit their highest level in six years, as the potential for western sanctions prompted investors to dump Russian assets. The rouble lost 1.5 percent to trade at 78.9 to the US dollar, a 14-month low.
When the USSR collapsed Russia, Britain, and the US made an agreement with Ukraine: in exchange for giving up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal, countries guaranteed Ukraine’s security, independence, and territorial integrity.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and is supporting separatist forces in Ukraine’s Donbass region with its regular army.
