Feb. 25 (UPI) — NATO leaders and heads of member states convened for an emergency meeting on Friday to address the latest developments in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and pledge security for nations close to the combat zone.
In his opening remarks, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg condemned the invasion “in the strongest terms” and urged Russia to leave Ukraine and give the country the “right to choose its own path.”
Stoltenberg is scheduled to give a briefing after the emergency meeting has concluded.
U.S. President Joe Biden and other Western leaders attended remotely. The NATO webpage live streamed the opening portion of the emergency meeting.
For the rest of the meeting, leaders are expected to talk about the next moves to counter Moscow as Russian forces keep up their assault on Ukraine and move closer to the capital Kyiv. Fighting reached Kyiv’s northern suburbs and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more international help and stronger economic sanctions.
Ukrainian officials said on Friday that civilian locations in Kyiv have already been hit by Russian rocket fire.
Biden, who attended the meeting from the Situation Room in the White House, said in a national address on Thursday that NATO would “affirm our solidarity and to map out the next steps we will take to further strengthen all aspects of our NATO alliance.”
When asked Thursday if NATO would respond and how many U.S. troops would be involved, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said no decision has been made.
“That’s really up to NATO,” she told reporters. “As you know, we have a number of troops — thousands of troops that are on call. But that is a decision to be made by the NATO Alliance.”
