'We are not part of this conflict, and we have a responsibility to ensure it does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine,' said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
"We are not part of this conflict, and we have a responsibility to ensure it does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine," said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that the 30-country alliance will not impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, warning that such a step would draw NATO forces into direct conflict with Russia and potentially spark"a full-fledged war in Europe.
"We are not part of this conflict, and we have a responsibility to ensure it does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine because that would be even more devastating and more dangerous, with even more human suffering," Stoltenberg said during a press conference following a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
Stoltenberg told reporters that while the Ukrainian leadership's call for a no-fly zone was mentioned during Friday's meeting, NATO members ultimately agreed that the alliance shouldn't have"planes operating over Ukrainian airspace or NATO troops on Ukrainian territory." "NATO is not seeking a war with Russia," said Stoltenberg, who condemned Russia's assault on Ukraine as an unlawful act of aggression and demanded that Russian President Vladimir Putin order the immediate withdrawal of all troops.
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