Stoltenberg urged Russia to withdraw its troops from the Donbass

The NATO Secretary General made a strong statement.

Jens Stoltenberg urged Russia to withdraw its troops from the territory of Ukraine. He stated this at a joint briefing with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.

“We discussed the situation in the East of Ukraine. The conflict further takes the lives of people. In the fighting killed more than 10 thousand people, including almost three thousand civilians. It is obvious that the cease-fire fails. And we are concerned about the rising threats to OSCE observers. The Minsk agreements remain the only path to peace,” – said Stoltenberg.

“Russia should withdraw its thousands of troops from Ukraine and to stop supporting the militants with their command, control and weapons. NATO firmly in the position of support of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We do not recognize and will never recognize the illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea by Russia”, – said Stoltenberg.

NATO Secretary General also added that economic sanctions are an effective mechanism of influence on Russia and notes that they should be saved.

NATO to decide on sanctions against Russia, but NATO countries to impose sanctions against Russia, and I think that these sanctions must continue until Russia shows a constant behavior in relation to the Minsk agreement” — said Stoltenberg

The Kremlin immediately responded to the words of Stoltenberg, saying that Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine.

“Russia had no troops on the territory of Ukraine”, – said Putin’s press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.

© 2017, paradox. All rights reserved.