- Title: Turn back to diplomacy - NATO and France tell Russia
- Date: 10th December 2021
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 10, 2021) (REUTERS) REPUBLICAN GUARD STANDING OUTSIDE FRENCH FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG ARRIVING, GREETING FRENCH DEFENCE MINISTER FLORENCE PARLY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER JEAN-YVES LE DRIAN AT ENTRANCE OF FOREIGN MINISTRY/ THE THREE POSING FOR PHOTO STOLTENBERG, LE DRIAN AND PARLY IN ROUNDTABLE MEETING STOLTENBERG LOOKING ON NATO FLAG SLOLTENBERG, LE DRIAN AND PARLY IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG SAYING: "Today, in our meeting, we addressed Russia's renewed military build-up in and around Ukraine. This raises tensions and undermines security in Europe. Russia must de-escalate, respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and return to diplomacy." JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG SAYING: "Ukraine is not a NATO member. So the security guarantees does not apply for Ukraine. But at the same time Ukraine is a highly valued partner of NATO and all NATO allies support Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty and NATO and NATO allies also provide a support political support and practical support to Ukraine." LE DRIAN AND PARLY LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER JEAN-YVES LE DRIAN SAYING: "NATO is unified in the face of this situation and it is essential that we continue exchanging information on this issue. It is clear for us that any violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity would inevitably entail, on our part, massive strategic consequences that have already been announced from by us over the last few days." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG SAYING: "What we need is more capabilities, and not new structures competing for the same capabilities. And more readiness, more forces, is something we strongly welcome." STOLTENBERG AND LE DRIAN LISTENING TO QUESTION FROM JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG SAYING: "Any meaningful strengthening of the efforts of European allies is to spend more. And actually NATO has been the organisation pushing for increased European defence spending for many years. And the good news is that we see that all allies have started, all European allies have started to invest more in defence. And that actually provides more readiness, more capabilities, stronger defences in Europe." VARIOUS OF STOLTENBERG AND LE DRIAN LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
- Embargoed: 24th December 2021 12:43
- Keywords: Le Drian NATO Russia Stoltenberg Ukraine alliance defence military military capabilities strategic
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA001F7GH0EF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The crisis in Ukraine can only be solved through diplomacy and Russia must do its utmost to reduce tensions, NATO and French officials said on Friday (December 10), warning of serious consequences if Moscow were to launch a military intervention in Ukraine.
Russia has amassed troops on its border with Ukraine, where Kremlin-backed rebels have been fighting the Kyiv government, raising fears that it might be preparing to invade.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied he intends to attack Ukraine, but he has bridled against what he sees as NATO's eastward expansion and the deployment of military hardware close to its border.
"Russia must de-escalate, respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity (and) return to diplomacy," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference in Paris.
Speaking alongside French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Defence Minister Florence Parly, he said the alliance stood by its position supporting Ukraine's bid to join NATO.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday (December 9) promised Central European NATO members more military support as concern grows over a Russian troop build-up on the border with Ukraine, Lithuania's presidential advisor Asta Skaisgiryte said.
"Any violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity of Ukraine would have massive strategic consequences," Le Drian told the news conference.
On defence strategy, Stoltenberg said Europe has no need for new structures, a day after French President Emmanuel Macron called for a rethink of EU defense.
Macron said in a speech on Thursday outlining France's priorities as it takes over the presidency of the European Council, that the EU needed to define a new defense strategy that would strengthen its ability to defend itself, even though the transatlantic NATO alliance remained useful and effective.
"What we need is more capabilities, and not new structures competing for the same capabilities," Stoltenberg said in Paris.
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