There are widespread concerns about Russian military activity on the border with Ukraine and its increasingly aggressive rhetoric.
"There is no certainty, no clarity about exactly what are the Russian intentions, and they may actually evolve and change," the NATO chief added, noting "they've done it before" referring to Crimea.
"In just a few days, Putin has said that he wants a deal to prevent Ukraine from ever joining NATO. He also wants a Western promise never to deploy NATO military infrastructure in Ukraine,"He added that, over the last year, the Kremlin has had to messages for the U.S. "First, Russia attaches paramount importance to Ukraine. Second, its patience with the status quo is running thin, and it is ready to take drastic measures to reverse the situation.
As Ukraine is not a member of NATO, the military alliance is under no obligation to defend the country. As such, just how far the U.S. and EU might go to protect Ukraine is uncertain.Biden set to warn Putin in video call: Expect ‘substantial’ economic punishment if Russia attacks Ukraine
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