In connection with the Russian operation in Ukraine, NATO will deploy additional defensive forces in the eastern part of the alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that NATO would not send troops to Ukraine. At the same time, in Belgium they proposed to stop issuing visas to Russians, and in the Czech Republic they called for disconnecting the Russian Federation from SWIFT. The Kremlin is confident that a country like Russia cannot be behind the Iron Curtain. NATO has decided to deploy additional ground, air and sea forces in the eastern part of the alliance in connection with the Russian military operation in Ukraine. This is stated in a statement following the meeting of permanent representatives of the countries of the organization in Brussels.

The alliance called Russia's actions a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security and drew attention to their geostrategic implications.

“NATO will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the security and defense of all allies. We are deploying additional defensive ground and air forces in the eastern part of the alliance, as well as additional maritime forces,” the statement said.

The document emphasizes that NATO Allies have consulted in accordance with Article 4 of the Washington Treaty and "have decided to take additional steps to further strengthen deterrence and defense throughout the Alliance."

The alliance stressed that the measures taken "remain preventive, proportionate" and are not aimed at escalation.

NATO called on Russia to withdraw its decision to conduct a "special military operation" in the Donbass, noting that Moscow would pay a "very high economic and political price" for its decisions.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the horrific Russian attack on Ukraine, which is completely unjustified and unprovoked. Our thoughts are with all the dead and wounded, as well as with the people of Ukraine. We also condemn Belarus for allowing this attack,” the alliance stressed.

NATO countries also condemned Moscow's decision to recognize the LPR and DPR. “We strongly condemn Russia's decision to extend recognition to the breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine. This further violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and contradicts the Minsk agreements signed by Russia. The Allies will never accept this illegal recognition,” the organization said.

NATO stated that they fully support the President of Ukraine and its citizens. It is noted that the alliance will always maintain the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine "within its internationally recognized borders, including its territorial waters."

The Alliance promised to continue to closely coordinate its actions with stakeholders and various international organizations, including the EU.

At the same time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the organization would not deploy forces in Ukraine.

“There are no NATO forces on the territory of Ukraine and there are no plans to send them there either. We support Ukraine, but we provide firm security guarantees only to NATO allies,” he said.

Stoltenberg indicated that the alliance will continue to contact Moscow to resolve the conflict.

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Stop issuing visas to Russians

Belgium proposed to consider the issue of stopping the issuance of any EU visas to all Russians.

“Russia's reckless attack forces us to be careful of Russians who want to come to Belgium,” said Secretary of State for Migration and Asylum Sammi Mahdi. According to him, the restrictions should affect the issuance of short-term and long-term visas.

“At the moment, the stay of Russians here is undesirable, a general ban on issuing visas to Russians should not be tabooed,” he said. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has not yet commented on the proposal.

Earlier, the Czech government discussed the possibility of tightening the procedure for issuing visas to Russians.

“We said that we would call our European colleagues on the basis of the negotiation platform of the heads of the EU Interior Ministry, so that citizens of the Russian Federation could use only biometric passports when traveling to the Schengen zone. This is necessary so that we can be sure that those who come to us are really those who have been issued such passports, ”stressed Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan.

Later it became known that the Czech Republic stopped issuing visas to Russians and recalled its ambassadors from Russia and Belarus for consultations.

In addition, the country decided to close two Russian consulates in Karlovy Vary and Brno, as well as its own consulates in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.

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Disconnection from SWIFT

Czech President Milos Zeman expressed his support for the people of Ukraine and called for tougher sanctions against Russia, including disconnecting it from the SWIFT international interbank payment system.“I think the time has come to start tougher sanctions than previously planned. These are, first of all, sanctions in the field of the SWIFT international banking network, which would mean the exclusion of the Russian Federation from the payment system, ”actuality.sk quotes Zeman as saying.

The Czech President expressed his confidence that the situation would calm down, "however, not by a stupid compromise, but by a decisive reaction against the aggressor."

“I love Russian culture, I respect the victims of the Russian people in World War II. But this does not mean that I will agree to foreign troops entering the territory of a sovereign state without declaring war. By these actions, Russia allows a crime against peace. The irrational decision of the leadership of the Russian Federation will bring significant damage to Russia itself,” Zeman said.

According to Reuters, Russia's disconnection from SWIFT is currently not expected, as this decision will lead to wide-ranging consequences, including in Europe.

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There will be no Iron Curtain

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov is sure that Russia cannot be behind the Iron Curtain.

“A country like Russia cannot be behind the Iron Curtain. Of course, we may have problems with a number of states...,” Peskov said.

According to him, Russia has already faced problems from other states before the military operation.

bbabo.Net