Ukraine–NATO relations

Tensions between NATO and Russia are still high

"As you have heard from the Secretary of State, the National Security Adviser and others, we do not know if the Russians are playing diplomatic games, but we hope they are not playing. Our intention is to seriously move diplomacy forward so that its doors remain open and if the Russians are ready for that, they will move through diplomacy," said a White House spokeswoman.

The United States and NATO have rejected Russia's demand that the alliance close the door on Ukraine's future membership, as well as abandon any further enlargement. In addition, Nord Stream 2 will not operate if Russia invades Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the representatives of that alliance, in coordination with the United States, sent requests to Moscow, which can be summarized in three areas, concerning NATO-Russia relations, European security and arms control.

The main risks facing Bulgaria are related to security in the Black Sea region, as well as hybrid and cyber-attacks. This was stated by Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska in connection with the Russia-Ukraine conflict and NATO-Russian tensions during an extraordinary session of parliament scheduled at the request of GERB.

The United States and its allies are considering the deployment of troops in NATO's Eastern European countries as a precautionary measure against a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. This was reported by CNN, citing officials of the US administration.

NATO will Expand its Military Presence in Eastern Europe

The United States on Wednesday rejected Russia's key demand to bar Ukraine from NATO and said it believed Moscow was ready to invade but offered what it called a new "diplomatic path" out of the crisis.

Bulgaria does not want American troops on its territory, but is ready to accept French, a diplomatic source from Brussels told BNR.

The decision is expected to be made in mid-February, around a meeting of NATO defense ministers.

Bulgarian PM after Security Council on Tensions in the East: We Remain a Loyal Partner of NATO

Ljubljana – Professor Boštjan Udovič criticised Russia and the US for not making efforts to reduce the growing tensions on the Ukrainian border as he commented on the situation for the STA on Tuesday. He labelled the conflict as muscle flexing similar to that witnessed in Georgia in 2008.

Russia's eventual attack on Ukraine will provoke a fierce response, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced last night.
"We have agreed that any new Russian aggression against Ukraine will have serious consequences," Stoltenberg said on Twitter after an online meeting with Biden and the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Great Britain and the EU, Reuters reports.