COPENHAGEN, Denmark
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said the alliance had monitored an “incursion” by Russian troops into Ukraine.
Speaking in Copenhagen on Friday, Rasmussen called on Russia to withdraw troops from the border. He added: "We see a continuous flow of weapons and fighters from Russia into eastern Ukraine and it is a clear demonstration of continued Russian involvement in the destabilization of eastern Ukraine."
Warning that Europe is becoming less stable due to tension between Russia and its neighbor, Rasmussen noted that Russia had increased defense spending by 50 percent in last five years while NATO spending had shrunk by 20 per cent.
He said: "This is an unacceptable situation. We should reverse this trend and all NATO allies should increase their defense contributions step by step.”
The NATO chief also touched on the crisis in Iraq and told reporters: “The IS [Islamic State] may create a global threat and it is in our common interest to stop this group.”
Discussing the security of NATO member Turkey’s borders with Syria and Iraq, where IS is active, Rasmussen added: "There is not yet any need for NATO involvement but if the security of a member state was threatened, NATO would certainly become involved."
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