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Category Archives: NATO

Around-the-clock NATO air patrols fly to keep Russia at bay – AirForceTimes.com

Posted: March 8, 2022 at 11:16 pm

NATO has nearly doubled the number of military jets on alert across Europe amid concerns that Russias reckless flying in international airspace could escalate alongside its war in Ukraine.

The alliances move to constantly guard its eastern edge highlights how rapidly the security situation has evolved in and out of Ukraine over the past 10 days, as well as the stakes of NATOs biggest test since its founding in 1949.

More than 60 NATO planes are on high alert at all times to await possible airspace violations, the alliance said in December. Thats grown to more than 100 combat aircraft now rotating through the sky in shifts.

A force of myriad fighter aircraft like American F-15s, F-16s and F-35s, plus NATO Eurofighters has shifted in the past week from dispatching jets as needed to escort uncooperative Russian pilots, to actively defending allied airspace, NATOs Allied Air Command spokesperson Jonathan Bailey said Friday.

There have been scrambles in response to Russian air activity in international airspace where they are not complying with air safety regulations, Bailey told Air Force Times. We are maintaining 24/7 patrols in the skies along our eastern borders.

Two Russian Sukhoi Su-27s and two Su-24s violated Sweden's airspace on March 2, 2022, the Swedish Air Force said. The Swedes sent Gripen jets to escort them away in a brief interaction. (Swedish Air Force)

Air policing planes identify and address renegade aircraft, such as when allied pilots intercept Russian military jets that veer near their airspace or if a civilian plane is unresponsive or hijacked. Theyre not allowed to fire unless fired upon when flying over a foreign country; most interdictions take place without incident and do not enter allied airspace.

Russian military aircraft often do not transmit a transponder code indicating their position and altitude, do not file a flight plan or do not communicate with air traffic controllers, posing a potential risk to civilian airliners, NATO noted in 2020.

As of Feb. 26, the third day of Russias invasion of Ukraine, NATO air policing assets had not interacted with Russian aircraft since the war began, Allied Air Command told Air Force Times. That changed as the following seven days unfolded.

Still, Bailey noted the transatlantic alliance has not intercepted more Russians than usual in recent months. He did not say how many, how often or where those incidents are happening.

Russian pilots arent limiting their bad behavior to NATO nations. Four Russian fighters entered Swedish airspace on Wednesday, prompting the Nordic country to send up its own Gripen jets to see them out.

Two Su-27 and two Su-24 fighters violated Swedish airspace over the sea east of Gotland, an island off Swedens East Coast, the countrys Air Force said the same day. The event was brief and under control, the service said.

With the current situation as backdrop, we take this incident very seriously. Russias conduct is unprofessional and irresponsible, Swedish Air Force boss Maj. Gen. Carl-Johan Edstrm said in a release.

Like Ukraine, Sweden likely would not benefit from direct military assistance from the U.S. and much of Europe if Russia escalates matters. It has not formally joined NATO, preferring instead to maintain official neutrality.

Fending off Russian aggression in the air has taken on a darker tone than usual for NATO and its neighbors as Ukraine burns next door.

NATO fighter jets scrambled around 370 times across Europe in 2021, mostly to check aircraft flying unannounced near allied air pace, the alliance said in a Dec. 28 press release. Around 80 percent of the missions, 290 in total, were in response to flights by Russian military aircraft.

Most of those instances occurred in the Baltics, over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, where the alliance has flown air policing missions since 2004, NATO said. One intercept can involve any number of aircraft.

That level of air policing operations was lower than in 2020 but generally on par with recent years. NATO forces scrambled more than 400 times in 2020, including about 350 in response to Russian flights a moderate increase from 2019, the alliance said.

NATO is vigilant, and we will always do what it takes to protect and defend all allies, spokesperson Oana Lungescu said in December.

Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. Her work has appeared in Air Force Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md.), the Washington Post, and others.

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Putin is likely to hit NATO in the Baltic if he wins in Ukraine, EU vice president warns – POLITICO Europe

Posted: at 11:16 pm

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to ramp up his military ambitions and challenge NATO in the Baltic Sea countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia unless he is stopped in Ukraine, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis warned in an interview with POLITICO.

The trade commissioner, who grew up in the Soviet Union and draws on his experience as a former prime minister of Latvia, said the EU had to take the Russian threat seriously, after years of equivocation by Brussels toward Moscow.

If we do not support Ukraine, its not going to stop in Ukraine. Clearly Putin is now in some kind of aggressive war mood and unfortunately it is likely that this aggression will continue in other countries, he said.

Asked whether he was particularly worried about Moldova, he identified the Baltic countries as a concern. If you look at escalating Russias aggressive rhetoric and even statements claiming Russia supporting Belarusian interests in having access to Baltic Sea, and the increasing anti-Baltic rhetoric well in Ukraine, it also started with increasing anti-Ukrainian rhetoric.

The prediction that the Baltic countries could be next in Putins sights following the invasion of Ukraine reflects the level of alarm in some quarters of the European Commission over Putins next move. Dombrovskis has long warned of the threat posed by the Russian president.

While accepting that Russias nuclear threat was serious, Dombrovskis warned against appeasing the Russian leader.

The question is: To what extent we are giving in to this blackmail because it can be used all the time against everything? Putin will continue his aggressive wars, he will always use this blackmail, he said. These are lessons that should have been learned before. Appeasement of the aggressor is not working, and the aggressor needs to be stopped by all means.

Dombrovskis was also skeptical about diplomatic overtures to Putin. The question is whether they bring some tangible results in terms of stopping the war, or at least providing a cease-fire or humanitarian corridors. Currently, none of these unfortunately materialized. French President Emmanuel Macron has been playing a lead role in Europes outreach to Putin, with the Russian president also speaking to European Council President Charles Michel and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in recent days.

The former Latvian prime minister stressed new sanctions on Russia could come within days.

Nothing should be off the table, said Dombrovsksis, including in the energy sector. We should do more, because this aggression unfortunately is not stopping so we should see a way in a sense to stop Putins ability to finance this war.

Although Dombrovskis is taking a hard line, it is far from clear that Europe would be able to crack down hard on Russian energy as Germany is dead set against such a measure.

The measures under discussion are in the field of crypto assets; steps to widen the list of banks cut off from the SWIFT payments system; and removing Russias most favored nation status at the World Trade Organization.

Dombrovskis also wanted to extend import bans already agreed on for Belarus to Russia to avoid a loophole round the embargo.

On the possibility of targeting Russian oil and gas, Dombrovskis said an assessmentby the European Commissionwas ongoing, but he stressed that nothing should be off the table. Amid a surge in oil prices following speculation that the United States could ban Russian oil, the Commission said thatdoing something on oil maybe somewhat less disruptive than doing something on gas.

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Putin is likely to hit NATO in the Baltic if he wins in Ukraine, EU vice president warns - POLITICO Europe

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Will NATO get involved in the war in Ukraine? – Al Jazeera English

Posted: at 11:16 pm

Video Duration 24 minutes 15 seconds 24:15

The NATO alliance says it does not seek war but is ready for it after Russia invaded Ukraine.

NATO foreign ministers have met in Brussels for a special summit on Ukraine.

The alliance has imposed more sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle.

And the US is going after business leaders who are closely tied to the Kremlin.

But none of this appears to be swaying Putin into pulling back his troops.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says NATO does not want confrontation with Moscow but it stands ready if conflict comes.

But what will the consequences be if the block gets involved?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Brooks Tigner Correspondent for Janes Defence Weekly

Robert Hunter Former US ambassador to NATO

Andrey Baklanov Chairman of the Board of the Association of Russian Diplomats

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Will NATO get involved in the war in Ukraine? - Al Jazeera English

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Putins military blunders give NATO a birds-eye view of Russias capability for a bigger war – but that threat remains real – Sydney Morning Herald

Posted: at 11:16 pm

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine grinds into its third week, its becoming clearer by the day that Moscow has grossly underestimated the resolve of Ukrainians to defend their homeland. The moral clarity of Ukrainian stoicism in the face of Russian aggression has galvanised Western public opinion and provided a degree of unity among the US and its allies not witnessed since terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Most including the Kremlin itself expected a lightning Russian military victory. But integrated and resilient Ukrainian defences have accentuated the serious underperformance of numerically superior Russian forces that possess overwhelming firepower backed by potent cyber capabilities and the worlds largest nuclear weapons inventory.

A man takes a photo of the remains of a missile in a street in the Vydubychi district of Kyiv, Ukraine. Russian forces have shelled Europes largest nuclear power plant. Credit:AP/Andriy Dubchak

Operationally, the Russian military has failed to gain momentum on the ground and its increasingly unrestrained bombing of civilian targets including the shocking attack on a nuclear power plant underscores its weakness in Ukraine rather than its strength.

Politically, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have seriously miscalculated by misjudging the resolve of the West, in particular the US and its NATO allies. Its highly likely that Putin expected to drive a wedge into NATO by dividing eastern European members states from more established members such as France, Germany, and Britain. That hasnt happened.

To the contrary, NATO unity is stronger today than it has been since the Cold War, and European allies more assured than ever that the US will be automatically engaged in the fight should Russia invade a NATO member state.

Putin also seems to have miscalculated on the sanctions front, which will impose a massive cost on Russias economy and could well lead to the gradual collapse of the Russian state despite the countrys significant cash reserves.

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While having appalling consequences for ordinary Ukrainians, the drawn-out Russian invasion has, paradoxically, yielded some benefits for NATO. It has provided an intelligence window for the US and its allies to analyse the performance of Russian military systems and personnel in a combat environment. From the telemetry of cruise missiles to the morale of conscript soldiers, Russias military is now under the microscope of the US and its allies.

The invasion has also allowed real-time assessments of the performance of NATO-certified weapons provided to the Ukrainians for use against Russian systems. Given that these weapons would be used to defend eastern European member states against a Russian ground and air assault, these assessments will be important in NATO planning.

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Putins military blunders give NATO a birds-eye view of Russias capability for a bigger war - but that threat remains real - Sydney Morning Herald

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NATO rushing to resupply Ukraine by land; no-fly zone all but ruled out – POLITICO

Posted: February 26, 2022 at 10:45 am

With the skies now largely owned by Russian fighter planes and Ukraines military airports cratered by missile attacks, allied resupply has had to shut down the well-publicized air bridge that had shuttled planeloads of Javelins and anti-air Stinger missiles into Ukraine in recent weeks. From here on out, Ukrainian forces will have to make do with a series of more modest truck convoys.

But these slow-moving convoys are likewise susceptible to Russian attacks, even in the far west of the country that has so far been spared the worst of the fighting. And, as they rumble slowly eastward to the front lines, they will have to traverse mile after mile of potentially contested territory.

While several NATO allies have publicly pledged their commitment to continue funneling weapons into Ukraine, the U.S. has been more circumspect. Were continuing to provide ways for them to defend themselves, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Friday, while declining to go into any more detail.

The road option carries plenty of risk. Any truck convoys driving on those roads would be afforded scant protection from the sky, as NATO has all but shut the door on the idea of setting up a no-fly zone over any part of the country.

Despite repeated pleas from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to close the skies, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Friday demanding that NATO, Europe, USA close the sky over Ukraine, theres little Western appetite to do so.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace flatly rejected that idea on Friday, saying that sending aircraft to enforce a no-fly zone would mean putting British fighter jets directly against Russian fighter jets, and NATO would have to effectively declare war on Russia because thats what you would do.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby wasnt as categorical in dismissing the idea, telling reporters Friday that President Joe Biden has been very clear that U.S. troops will not be fighting in Ukraine, while saying that any no-fly zone would be a NATO decision.

No-fly zones are inherently dangerous, and the Obama administration refused to implement one in Syria during the height of the Assad regimes campaign against its own civilian population, citing Syrias air defenses and Russian aircraft in the skies.

If the U.S. and its allies were to issue such an order in Ukraine, the Air Force would be forced to undertake a military mission against the invading Russian forces, and U.S. forces would be forced to contend with high-level Russian air defenses, said Emma Ashford, a senior fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Putting American planes in the sky over Ukraine would in effect entail a decision to get in a military exchange with Russian forces, with all the escalation risks that entails.

After two days of intense combat across the country, however, the needs of the Ukrainian military for resupply are real, and growing.

Igor Novikov, former adviser to Zelenskyy, told POLITICO that our life has been completely disrupted. So we need everything: weapons, supplies, money. But what we need the most is severe, unbearable pressure on the aggressor. And we need it now: theres no time for bureaucracy, when bombs are landing on our childrens homes.

The land bridge appears to be the only viable option for the moment, as the western part of Ukraine, bordering NATO members Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, has been relatively quiet, and those countries could facilitate the movement of supplies.

By land or air, there appears to be a will to keep the weapons moving to help Ukrainians hold out for as long as they can.

Ill be very clear here, Kirby said, we are going to provide additional security assistance for Ukraine. How that is going to be done is still being worked out.

Betsy Woodruff Swan contributed to this report.

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UK says NATO forces must not play active role in Ukraine – Reuters

Posted: at 10:45 am

NATO flag flies in front of the Independence Monument during a rally of supporters of the "Democratic Axe" political party to thank all of Ukraine's partners for political support and military aid, at Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine January 30, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/Files

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LONDON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - British and NATO troops must not play an active role in the Ukraine conflict after Russia's invasion, armed forces minister James Heappey said on Friday, saying the risks of miscalculation in such a scenario could become existential.

"We must all in this house be clear that British and NATO troops should not (and) must not play an active role in Ukraine," Heappey told parliament.

"We must all be clear what the risk of miscalculation would be, and how existential that could very quickly become if people miscalculate and things escalate unnecessarily."

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Reporting by Muvija M, writing by Alistair Smout, editing by William James

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Erdogan says NATO, Western reaction to Russian attack not decisive – Reuters

Posted: at 10:45 am

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a news conference following their talks in Moscow, Russia March 5, 2020. Pavel Golovkin/Pool via REUTERS

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ANKARA, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that reaction from NATO and Western countries to Russia's assault on Ukraine had not been decisive, adding he hoped a NATO summit on Friday would lead to a more determined approach from the alliance.

NATO member Turkey borders Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. It has called on Russia to end its attack and voiced support for Ukraine's territorial integrity.

"It should not turn into an ordinary flurry of condemnation. NATO should have taken a more decisive step," Erdogan said after Friday prayers in Istanbul.

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"The EU and all Western mentalities did not show a seriously determined stance, they are all constantly advising Ukraine," he told reporters. "It is not possible to get anywhere with advice. When you look at the steps taken, there are no steps taken."

Despite a wave of sanctions from the West on Russia, Turkey has said it opposes such moves. It has also avoided using words such as "condemn" in its reaction or "invasion" to describe what is happening, instead saying Moscow's attack was "unacceptable".

On Friday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told broadcaster NTV that Turkey had abstained in a vote at the Council of Europe to suspend Russia from the body. "We are on the side dialogue under all conditions," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Europe on Friday to act more quickly and forcefully in imposing sanctions on Moscow for invading Ukraine, accusing Western allies of politicking as Moscow's forces advanced on Kyiv. read more

On Thursday, Ukraine asked Turkey to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, linking the Mediterranean and Black seas, to Russia under a 1936 pact. But Ankara said on Friday it could not stop Russian vessels from going into the Black Sea as it had the right to return ships to their bases under the accord. read more

HUMANITARIAN AID

Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, said on Friday that Turkish and Ukrainian authorities are in contact to arrange delivery of emergency medical equipment and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including food, medicine and tents.

Bodnar said Ukraine's list of needs was presented to both the Turkish Foreign Ministry and Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Authority (AFAD). "As lists come from Ukraine, we will continue conveying them to Turkish authorities," he told reporters in Ankara.

In a phone call on Friday, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov that Ankara was ready to provide humanitarian aid, his ministry said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also said that he had discussed "practical steps to strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities" with his Turkish counterpart on Friday.

Separately, Cavusoglu said Turkey had begun evacuating citizens from Ukraine by land and that around 2,500 people had requested evacuation.

While forging close cooperation with Russia on defence and energy, Turkey has also sold drones to Ukraine and signed a deal to co-produce more. Ankara also opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya, as well as its annexation of Crimea in 2014. read more

On Thursday, Erdogan, who previously offered to mediate the crisis, said he was "sincerely saddened" by Moscow's invasion, which he said was a "heavy blow" to regional peace. read more

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Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Daren Butler, William Maclean and Jonathan Oatis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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France says Putin needs to understand NATO has nuclear weapons – Reuters

Posted: at 10:45 am

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian addresses a news confererence at the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, Germany February 23, 2022. Kay Nietfeld/Pool via REUTERS

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PARIS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - France's foreign minister said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, when making threats about using nuclear weapons, needs to understand that NATO, too, is a nuclear alliance, but he ruled out NATO-led military intervention to defend Ukraine.

Asked whether Putin's threat of "such consequences that you have never encountered in your history" was tantamount to threatening Russian use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said it was indeed understood as such.

"Yes, I think that Vladimir Putin must also understand that the Atlantic alliance is a nuclear alliance. That is all I will say about this," Le Drian said on Thursday on French television TF1.

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Speaking from the Kremlin on Thursday morning as he launched the Russian military's invasion of Ukraine, Putin said Russia would respond instantly if any external force tried to interfere with its actions. read more

"Whoever tries to hinder us, and even more so, to create threats to our country, to our people, should know that Russia's response will be immediate. And it will lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history," the Russian president said.

Western leaders on Thursday threatened unprecedented economic sanctions against Russia, but none have argued for a NATO-led military intervention to defend Ukraine. read more

Ukraine is not a NATO ally, and the alliance is not treaty-bound to protect it. read more

Asked why NATO member states -- which in past decades have intervened militarily in non-NATO countries such as Afghanistan, Libya and former Yugoslavia -- are refusing to put soldiers on the ground in Ukraine, Le Drian said: "That is not what the Ukrainians are asking us".

He said Ukraine is asking for humanitarian and financial help, as well as military equipment, which the West has provided and will continue to provide.

Asked what weaponry NATO could provide, Le Drian said "they have made a list and we are studying that list in order to meet their requests as soon as possible".

Asked whether Europe and NATO could continue to rule out a military response despite the presence of Russian soldiers in Ukraine and Putin's threat of nuclear apocalypse, Le Drian said sanctions will be more efficient.

"Strangling Russia economically and financially will in the long run be stronger than any intervention," the foreign minister said.

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Reporting by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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EU and NATO react harshly to Russia’s Ukraine invasion – DW (English)

Posted: at 10:45 am

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has accused Russia's President Vladimir Putin of a blatant breach of international law and called on him to stop the attack on Ukraine.

"This February 24 is a terrible day for Ukraine and a gloomy day for Europe," Scholz said.He announced tough sanctions: "The aim of the sanctions is to make it clear to the Russian leadership: It will be paying a bitter price for this aggression. It will become clear: Putin has made a serious mistake with his warGermany stands by NATO's obligation to provide assistance."

"The situation is serious. The peace in Europe is built on not changing borders. We must return to these principles: State sovereignty is respected. Borders will not be moved," wrote Scholz on Twitter on Thursday morning.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned that the would "not forget this day of shame." She said Russia wasbreaking "the most elementary rules of the international order." "Germany is stunned, but not helpless," she said, announcing a package of "massive sanctions."

The German foreign ministry put out a tweet reading: "Fighting & missile attacks are taking place in #Ukraine. German citizens are urged to leave the country. If you cannot leave the country by a safe route, stay in a protected place for the time being."

Ukrainian citizens can travel to Germany visa-free to remain in the country for up to90 days.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, former defense minister in Chancellor Angela Merkel's previous center-right government admitted policy failures. Taking to Twitter in English on Thursday she wrote she was angry at Germany for not preparing any deterrence and showing military strength.

"This attack will have severe political and economic consequences for Russia," Vice-Chancellor and Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck said.

DW is following the situation in Ukraine live.

NATO is activating its "defense plans" for allied countries said NATOchief Jens Stoltenberg after a first emergency meeting, he also stressed that NATO would protect its own members, but not move on Ukrainian territory itself.

Russia faces "unprecedented isolation" over its attack on Ukraine and will be hit with the "harshest sanctions" the EU has ever imposed, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday morning.

"This is not a question of blocs. This is not a question of diplomatic power games. It's a matter of life and death. It is about the future of our global community," he said in a broadcast statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron said "France strongly condemns the decision of Russia to start a war with Ukraine. Russia must immediately put an end to its military operations."

"In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men, and children as they face this unprovoked attack and fear for their lives," European Union chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel said on Twitter. "We will hold the Kremlin accountable."

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), of which Russia is a member, said "this attack on Ukraine puts the lives of millions of people at grave risk and is a gross breach of international law and Russia's commitments."

Poland, which has a long border with Ukraine has called on NATO to strengthen its eastern flank.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser assured Poland and other Eastern European partners "massive support" in taking in refugees from Ukraine.

The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has condemned Russia's "reprehensible" attack on Ukraine and said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "threatens the peace of the entire planet." Romania, a country of 20 million people, borders Ukraine and is preparingto deal with economic and humanitarian consequences that the conflict could generate.

The Baltic nations, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which gained independence from the Soviet Union only in 1991 and have been members of both NATO and the European Union since 2004 are alarmed.

Lithuania has declared a state of emergency. Latvia's foreign ministry put out a statement saying the country should prepare for "possible security risks."

"Latvia is safe, we are not under a direct military threat," the statement read on Thursday morning and continued that"however, Latvia must also prepare for possible security risks an unpredictable refugee flow, cyber threats, disinformation attacks, and energy resource-related challenges."

UK Premier Boris Johnson took to Twitter to sayhe was "appalled by the horrific events" in Ukraine.

This article was first published at 9:00 on Thursday, February 24. It is continually being updated as more reactions are coming in.

While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society.You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.

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Biden announces movement of troops to eastern NATO allies – MSNBC

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