BERLIN, January 25. /TASS/. NATO is neither a party to the conflict in Ukraine, nor does it seek to become one, the bloc’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with Germany’s Die Welt newspaper published on Wednesday.

He pointed out that NATO was not and would not be a warring party. The US-led alliance is not sending its troops and aircraft to Ukraine, Stoltenberg added.

He also pointed out that the bloc supported Kiev by providing equipment. Ukraine has the right to self-defense based on the United Nations Charter and NATO has the right to support its efforts to protect this right, the secretary general stated.

According to Stoltenberg, there is always the risk of escalation so it’s crucial to boost the bloc’s military presence on its eastern flank. He believes that it will make Moscow understand that NATO is determined to defend every inch of its territory.