Rabia Iclal Turan
06 April 2021•Update: 06 April 2021
ANKARA
NATO’s secretary-general on Tuesday held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and expressed concern over Russia’s “military activities in and around Ukraine.”
“I called President @ZelenskyyUa to express serious concern about Russia’s military activities in and around Ukraine & ongoing ceasefire violations,” Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.
“NATO firmly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We remain committed to our close partnership,” he added.
Following the phone call, Zelensky said on Twitter that they were committed to reforming Ukraine’s army and defense sector. However, he added, “reforms alone will not stop Russia.”
“NATO is the only way to end the war in #Donbas. Ukraine's MAP [Membership Action Plan] will be a real signal for #Russia,” he added.
The Membership Action Plan (MAP) is a NATO program to support the individual needs of aspiring countries.
Tension on the Ukraine-Russia border
On March 30, Ruslan Homchak, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said Russia deployed its military near the Ukrainian border for “exercises.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia moved its armed forces within its territory "at its own discretion” and “it doesn’t pose any threat to anyone.”
Russian forces entered Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in February 2014, with Russian President Vladimir Putin formally dividing the region into two separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation the following month.
Turkey and the US, as well as the UN General Assembly, view the annexation as illegal, as does the EU, which imposed sanctions on Russia for the seizure.
