NATO leaders convene in extraordinary meeting

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - NATO's top official on Friday called on Russia to immediately stop its military operation in Ukraine, speaking at an extraordinary NATO leaders' meeting.

"We condemn Russia's aggression in the strongest possible terms and call on Russia to immediately cease its military action," Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a public opening speech.

Asserting that Russia "shattered peace on the European continent" Stoltenberg accused Moscow of having "sole responsibility for the deliberate cold-blooded and long-planned invasion."

NATO heads of state and government are holding an extraordinary meeting to discuss the Russian military operation in Ukraine and the allies' response to it.

The leaders of Sweden and Finland, as well as the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, also take part in the meeting being held in a hybrid format with some leaders physically present and others joining via video link.

"We stand with the brave people of Ukraine," Stoltenberg said, reiterating NATO's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

On Thursday, NATO decided to activate its defense plans enabling it to deploy capabilities and forces more easily in NATO territory.

Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine entered its second day on Friday, with the latest reports indicating that Russian troops were heading toward the capital Kyiv from several directions.

Putin had ordered the military intervention on Thursday, just days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine.

He claimed that Moscow had no plan to occupy the neighboring country, but wanted to “demilitarize” and "denazify" Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to install a puppet government and said Ukrainians will defend their country against Russian aggression.

Tensions started escalating late last year when Ukraine, the US and its allies accused Russia of amassing nearly 150,000 troops on the border with Ukraine.

They claimed Russia was preparing to invade its western neighbor, allegations consistently rejected by Moscow.