NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Tuesday categorically ruled out the involvement of the 30-member Alliance in Ukraine's conflict. "NATO is not going to be part of the conflict. So NATO is not going to send troops into Ukraine or move planes into Ukrainian airspace," he told a press conference at a Polish air base during a visit to Poland Tuesday. "We do not seek conflict with Russia, but Russia must immediately stop the war, pull out all its forces from Ukraine and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts," he said. Poland President Andrzej Duda, speaking at the same press conference at Lask military base, also ruled out any involvement of his country in the conflict. "We are not sending any jets to Ukraine because that would suggest an open and military interference in the Ukrainian conflict. We are not joining that conflict. NATO is not part to that conflict," stressed Duda. Stoltenberg announced, "Today we are for the first time in our history deploying a NATO Response Force. Today French troops are arriving in Romania as the lead element of this forces," he said. The NATO chief condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, said, "The Russian assault on Ukraine is totally unacceptable and it is enabled by Belarus. "Further, he welcomed the leading role of Poland for opening its borders to hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine." Meanwhile, NATO partners are providing Ukraine with air-defense missiles and anti-tank weapons, Stoltenberg said in a tweet on Monday, adding that he had held another phone conversation with Ukraine's president earlier. — Agencies
