Ukraine crisis: No sign of Russian de-escalation, Nato chief says
There is no sign that Russian forces are de-escalating near Ukraine, Nato's secretary-general says, despite claims from Moscow that it is pulling some troops back from the border.
Jens Stoltenberg said Russia still had a huge force ready to attack Ukraine.
He warned that the threat from Russia had become a "new normal", adding that the defensive alliance was considering strengthening its eastern flank.
Russia later denied Mr Stoltenberg's assessment of the situation.
A Kremlin spokesman reiterated that some troops were being withdrawn following the completion of military drills. Its defence ministry also published video on Wednesday purporting to show tanks leaving Moscow-annexed Crimea.
Speaking at a summit of Nato defence ministers in Brussels, Mr Stoltenberg said the alliance was considering setting up new battlegroups - the smallest type of self-sufficient military units - in central and south-eastern Europe.
He said this was part of ongoing measures to bolster European defence - on which $270bn (£199bn) had been spent since 2014 - although he attempted to reassure Russia that Nato was not a threat.
France had offered to lead one such battle group in Romania, he said.
Russia's foreign ministry, meanwhile, said it was "no longer interested" in Mr Stoltenberg's statements.
This was a bleak forecast for the future from Nato's secretary-general.
Jens Stoltenberg described it as the most serious security crisis in Europe since the end of the Cold War. And he made clear that the threat hadn't gone away.
Even if President Putin doesn't give the order to attack, there are still signs this crisis will cast a much longer shadow.
Mr Stoltenberg said Russia's military build-up showed Moscow was prepared to contest European security with the use of force.
That "new normal" could also mean Nato increasing its military posture. Mr Stoltenberg has tasked Nato military planners to look at setting up new battle groups on the alliance's eastern flank - in Romania and the Black Sea region.
However, no final decision has yet been taken and Nato insists reinforcements would only be sent to act as a deterrent.
Nato is still calling on Russia to engage in dialogue to reduce tensions. But if diplomacy doesn't work the danger is both sides will end up with their armies doing the talking.
Russia has more than 100,000 troops close to Ukraine but denies that it plans to invade.
The two countries have deep cultural and historic ties, and both were part of the former Soviet Union.
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants assurances that Ukraine will not join Nato because he sees any expansion of it as a threat. Nato has rejected that demand.
Mr Putin said on Tuesday that Russia did not want war, but demanded that the issue of Nato membership be addressed now, even though Ukraine is a long way from even starting an application to join the alliance.
Mr Stoltenberg said Nato remained prepared for dialogue, and it was not too late for Russia to "step back from the brink of conflict".
He expressed scepticism about Russian reports that some troops had been pulled back, after Russian statements and footage broadcast on Russian state television appeared to show military vehicles leaving Crimea.
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