Ukraine holds NATO talks amid heightened fear of Russia invasion

Jens Stoltenberg was speaking as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Ukraine held talks in Brussels

Simultaneous talks were being held in Geneva between the U.S. and Russia.

Stoltenberg said: “Ukraine is a valued and long-standing partner to NATO.”

Adding: “NATO allies are united in their support for all nations to choose their own path. This has been a fundamental principle of European security for decades.”

This came in response to Russia opposing its neighbor’s aspirations to join the military alliance.

Stoltenberg held a joint news briefing with the Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishnya.

She said “it is essential that the principle of ‘Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine'” be applied, meaning that any discussions about Ukraine must involve representation from Kyiv.

Stefanishnya said Ukraine was a “NATO-aspiring” country, which should be free to choose its own security arrangements, without outside pressure.

She said that all sides “must do everything possible to prevent an invasion by Russia [into Ukraine].”

The week of high-stakes meetings comes after Russia amassed nearly 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine in recent weeks.

Western leaders have been warning Russia against considering any invasion of eastern Ukraine.

NATO and Russia are due to sit down for talks in Brussels on January 12.

Stoltenberg said on Monday: “We will listen to Russia’s concerns, but any meaningful dialogue must also address our concerns about Russia’s actions.”