NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said recently that Russia will pay a heavy price if it uses chemical weapons in Ukraine.
He stressed that it has deployed new missiles and this violates international treaties and that an attack on any ally will mobilize NATO forces to respond.
Stoltenberg added that NATO is communicating with the Ukrainian political leadership at all levels and that it has no plans to deploy medium-range nuclear missiles in the alliance countries, declaring that the alliance’s defense ministers will hold a meeting tomorrow to return NATO defense plans.
Meanwhile, the White House said that US President Joe Biden will participate in the extraordinary NATO summit next week in Brussels, noting that Biden’s meeting with NATO leaders aims to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to allies.
The White House also announced that Biden had approved a military aid package to Ukraine of more than $13 billion, warning that imposing an air embargo on Ukraine would escalate the crisis.
In a related context, the Secretary-General of NATO called on Russia not to use chemical weapons in Ukraine, noting that the allies provide advanced military equipment that helps to resist the Russians.
He blamed the NATO Secretary-General, President Putin, for the war, saying that the Russian President could withdraw his forces now.
In addition, Jens Stoltenberg stressed that China is a member of the Security Council and should uphold international law. He called on it to join the countries of the world in condemning the Russian military operation.
The Secretary-General of NATO pointed out that the alliance monitors the borders and communicates with the Russians to prevent any accidents, but he went on to say that an attack on any ally would mobilize NATO forces to respond, recalling that the primary task of the alliance is to protect one billion people living in member states.
On the ground, the UN Human Rights Office said, Tuesday, that the latest confirmed toll of civilian casualties in Ukraine is 691 dead and 1,143 injured since the start of the Russian war 20 days ago.
