NATO preparing high-readiness force to counter Russia

A Ukrainian serviceman of the border service patrols in front of the seaport in Mariupol on September 1, 2014. Alexander KHUDOTEPLY/AFP/Getty Images

BRUSSELS - NATO leaders this week will be asked to approve the creation of a high-readiness force and the stockpiling of military equipment and supplies in Eastern Europe to help protect member nations there against potential Russian aggression, the alliance's secretary general said Monday.

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As NATO prepares to counter potential Russian aggression, the rebels in Ukraine that operate with Moscow's backing softened their demand for full independence Monday, saying they would respect Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for autonomy - a shift that reflects Moscow's desire to strike a deal at a new round of peace talks.

It remains unclear, however, whether the talks can reach a compromise amid the brutal fighting that has continued in eastern Ukraine. On Monday, the rebels pushed Ukrainian government forces from an airport near Luhansk, the second-largest rebel-held city, the latest in a series of military gains.

The fighting in Ukraine is also spreading to other parts of the country.

Firmly in control of the first contested city of Donetsk, the rebels are consolidating hold on the city of Novoazovsk, which they seized last week, reports CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer.

Twenty miles away lies the industrial center of Mariupol, widely assumed to be next on the rebels' list.

But the pro-Russian forces won't be welcome here.

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NATO preparing high-readiness force to counter Russia