BRUSSELS, February 25. /TASS/. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is urging Russia to immediately withdraw its troops from Ukraine and stop the offensive, according to a statement following the results of NATO’s online summit published on Friday.
"We call on Russia to immediately cease its military assault, to withdraw all its forces from Ukraine and to turn back from the path of aggression it has chosen," it noted. "In light of Russia’s actions, we will draw all the necessary consequences for NATO’s deterrence and defence posture," the statement said.
According to it, the alliance’s members "have held consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty." "We will continue to take all measures and decisions required to ensure the security and defence of all Allies. We have deployed defensive land and air forces in the eastern part of the Alliance, and maritime assets across the NATO area," the document noted.
A day earlier, during the EU’s extraordinary summit on Ukraine a new package of anti-Russian sanctions which would be adopted by EU countries was announced. It is expected that the sanctions will involve Russia’s financial and transport sectors as well as the EU’s visa policy with regards to Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Thursday morning that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported later on Thursday that Russian troops were not delivering strikes against Ukrainian cities. It emphasized that Ukrainian military infrastructure was being destroyed by precision weapons.