'Peace Shattered In Europe': NATO To Beef Up Forces Near Ukraine And Russia

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia was using force to try to rewrite history.

Police investigate the consequences of Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine (PTI/AP)

New Delhi: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday that Russia had "launched a war" on Ukraine and shattered peace on the European continent, AP reported.

Condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Stoltenberg said Russia was using force to try to rewrite history.

"Russia has attacked Ukraine. This is a brutal act of war. Peace on our continent has been shattered. This is a deliberate, cold-blooded and long-planned invasion. Russia is using force to try to rewrite history," AP quoted Stoltenberg as saying.

The alliance has ageed to further beef up its land, sea and air forces on its eastern flank near Ukraine and Russia. However, Stoltenberg said NATO had "no plans" to send alliance troops into Ukraine.

"Today, we activated NATO's defence plans that give our military commanders more authority to deploy forces when needed. No NATO troops inside Ukraine. We are increasing the presence of NATO troops in the eastern part of all the alliance on NATO territory," he said.

"We have over 100 jets at high alert protecting our airspace and more than 120 allied ships at sea from north to the Mediterrarean. We will do whatever is necessary to shield the alliance from aggression," the NATO chief further said.

Stoltenberg called for a summit of NATO leaders for Friday. He called on Russia to immediately seize its military action and withdraw from Ukraine.

"Democracy will always prevail over autocracy. Freedom will always prevail over oppression," he said.

"NATO stands in solidarity with Ukraine. NATO allies are imposing severe costs on Russia for their reckless invasion of Ukraine. NATO allies in close coordination with the European Union and other partners all over the world are now imposing severe economic sanctions on Russia," Stoltenberg said.

Russian forces on Thursday launched a major military assault on Ukraine, with reports of missile strikes and explosions in major cities.

Russia has long demanded that Ukraine be forbidden from ever joining the NATO alliance and that US troops pull out from Eastern Europe.