Russia is not withdrawing but regrouping its forces in Ukraine, the Secretary-General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, said on March 31, commenting the Moscow’s announcement of the “drastic reduction of the combat intensity” in Kyiv and Chernihiv directions.
According to Stoltenberg, Alliance is not yet convinced that Russia has held honest negotiations in Instanbul, as the Kremlin’s military objectives have not changed since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, BBC reports.
Following the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul, the Russian Ministry of Defence representative announced a drastic reduction in the combat intensity near Kyiv and Chernihiv.
“According to our intelligence’s information, Russian units are now withdrawing; they are transferring to new positions. Russia is trying to regroup, strengthen and rearm them for the Donbas offensive,” Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.
“At the same time, Russia continues to pressure Kyiv and other cities. So we are expecting new offensive operations, which will bring more suffering. We do not see real changes in the Russian objectives…They continue to pursue their goals military,” Secretary-General of NATO stressed.
He added that NATO allies would continue to supply Ukraine with weapons as long as needed.
Ukraine needs more weapons from its Western partners to win the war with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Western partners each day with an appeal to support Ukraine.
During a Fox News interview, the head of Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, said that Ukraine is currently covering NATO’s eastern flank, so Alliance should strengthen it with military equipment.