During his visit to Poland on Tuesday, NATO's Chief Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia to end the war in Ukraine and withdraw all its forces, adding the alliance would not send troops or combat jets to support Kyiv as it does not want to become part of the conflict. Stoltenberg met with Poland's President Andrzej Duda in Łask Air Base. "Our whole community must keep united, and we must stand together with Ukraine," Duda said.
"The Russian assault is totally unacceptable and it is enabled by Belarus," Stoltenberg said on Tuesday after meeting Polish president Andrzej Duda.
"NATO is a defensive alliance, we do not seek conflict with Russia. Russia must immediately stop the war, pull all its forces from Ukraine and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts," he added.
The Secretary General stressed that NATO is strengthening its defensive presence across the eastern part of the Alliance in response to Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. "At this air base, we see Allied solidarity in action: fighter jets from the United States are flying alongside the Polish Air Force, keeping NATO skies safe 24/7," he said.
"I thank Poland for its support and strength at this dangerous moment for European security," said Jens Stoltenberg. He welcomed that Poland has opened its borders to hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the conflict.
"Putin’s war affects us all and NATO Allies will always stand together to defend and protect each other," he said. The Secretary General also noted that NATO is deploying elements of the NATO Response Force for the first time in its history.
"Today, French troops are arriving in Romania as the lead element of this force. Our commitment to Article 5, our collective defence clause, is iron-clad," he said.
At the same time, the Secretary General stressed that NATO is a defensive Alliance that does not seek conflict with Russia, and that it was not planning to send any troops or military aircraft to Ukraine.
Duda: we must stay united and support Ukraine
President Duda gave a similar answer to the question of NATO's involvement. "We are not sending our planes as it would be a military involvement in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. NATO is not a side in this conflict," he said.
"We've discussed security situation, tasks that are being carried out here, and necessary steps needed to enforce the eastern flank of the Alliance," Polish president said.
He also mentioned that he and Stoltenberg had taken part in an online meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and presidents of NATO member states. "We said that that the NATO, our whole community, must must keep united, and we must stand together with Ukraine," he stressed. According to Duda, Stoltenberg's visit on Tuesday underscored "this unity, solidarity, and joint action".
The president also expressed hope that solidarity and efforts made would provide security and peace to the people of Europe, including Poland.
German warplanes protecting Poland
German warplanes are flying armed air patrols in the skies over Poland, the German air force said on Tuesday.
"Safeguarding the skies over Poland," the air force said on Twitter, above a picture of a starting fighter jet, without giving details.
A military spokesperson told Reuters the Eurofighter jets were flying missions out of Germany over Poland, a country that suffered severely under Nazi Germany in the last century.
Germany is also refuelling allied jets over Romania with an A400M tanker and supporting a multinational refuelling mission over Poland, according to the spokesperson, on top of having deployed six Eurofighters to Romania where they fly armed air patrols for NATO.
On Monday, Germany announced it would send Tornado warplanes and a maritime patrol aircraft to the Baltic Sea area.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters, nato.int