The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is deploying additional defensive land and air forces to the eastern part of the Alliance, as well as additional maritime assets, the alliance's council said on Thursday.
In a statement North Atlantic Council, NATO's political decision-making body, said that Russia's actions pose a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security, and they will have geostrategic consequences. "NATO will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the security and defence of all Allies."
"We are deploying additional defensive land and air forces to the eastern part of the Alliance, as well as additional maritime assets. We have increased the readiness of our forces to respond to all contingencies," read the statement.
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia's horrifying attack on Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked. We also condemn Belarus for enabling this attack."
The statement said that this renewed attack is a grave violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and is wholly contradictory to Russia's commitments in the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris, the Budapest Memorandum and the NATO-Russia Founding Act. It constitutes an act of aggression against an independent peaceful country.
NATO's political decision-making body called on Russia to immediately cease its military action and withdraw all its forces from in and around Ukraine, to fully respect international humanitarian law, and to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access and assistance to all persons in need.
"Today, we have held consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. We have decided, in line with our defensive planning to protect all Allies, to take additional steps to further strengthen deterrence and defence across the Alliance. Our measures are and remain preventive, proportionate and non-escalatory," read the statement.
"Our commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is iron-clad. We stand united to defend each other," the statement added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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