BERLIN

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has accused Russia of continued military support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, despite a cease-fire accord agreed last September.

The NATO chief claimed on Wednesday that Russia had provided air defenses, artillery and several other types of military equipment.

Stoltenberg told journalists at a press conference in Berlin: "In general, we see that Russia is continuing to support the separatists. Equipment and forces are at the border.

"There have also been some movements in the Ukraine where Russia has supported the separatists and there are also Russian soldiers inside eastern Ukraine. But I am not able to give you specific numbers."

Stoltenberg called on Moscow to respect the Minsk cease-fire deal agreed last September and use all of its influence on separatists to make them implement the ceasefire.

Earlier in the day, Stoltenberg met German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Prime Ministry and discussed developments in Ukraine.

- 'No confrontation'

At a joint press conference after their meeting, Stoltenberg underlined that NATO was not seeking confrontation with Russia but expecting Moscow to respect international law.

“NATO aspires to a more constructive and cooperative relationship with Russia. But to be able to establish that, Russia must want that too,” he said.

Asked about the prospect of NATO membership for Ukraine, Stoltenberg said all sovereign nations had the night to choose their own path.

But he added: "Ukraine has not applied for membership, but removed the decision they had earlier to be a non-bloc country.

"They have underlined themselves that they are now starting a process, which aims to end up with an application to become a member of NATO."

"But they have underlined themselves that this will take time, they have to reform. They have to also have a referendum," he said.

- 'Security and safety'

Stoltenberg said that any country which aspires to become a NATO member has to fulfill NATO standards and contribute to the stability and security of Europe.

Merkel added: "Germany feels duty-bound to show solidarity with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and to demonstrate that this is not something we pay lip service to, but we are serious about implementing this."

She also underlined that NATO members are committed to defend all allies against any aggression, based on the Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty.

“But we don’t want to pursue a policy that is directed against Russia. We want a political cooperation with Russia. Security and safety in Europe will certainly be better, if we do not work against each other,” she said.

Merkel said one precondition was for Russia to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Asked about Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s diplomatic initiative for bringing together the Russian, Ukrainian, German and French leaders in Astana this week for talks on Ukraine, Merkel said that the diplomats of four countries could not make enough progress to date to make the meeting possible.

“One has to have at least a glimpse of hope for tangible results in order to go for such a meeting, but we are not there yet,” Merkel said.

- 'Sustainable cease-fire'

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014, after a referendum in the strategic peninsula, declaring unilateral independence and integration with Russia.

Unrest in Ukraine's mostly Russian-speaking east has torn the region apart since April, when the Ukrainian army launched military operations in the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk to restore government control, after pro-Russian separatists declared independence in the region.

The Ukrainian government and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine signed a cease-fire agreement on Sept. 5 with the goal of a sustainable cease-fire.

The agreement, however, has not been respected by both sides and at least 1,357 fatalities have been recorded since it was agreed.