Russia has amassed around 20,000 troops on Ukraine's eastern border and could use the excuse of an humanitarian or peacekeeping mission to send them into Ukraine, NATO said in a statement on Wednesday.
'We're not going to guess what's on Russia's mind, but we can see what Russia is doing on the ground - and that is of great concern. Russia has amassed around 20,000 combat-ready troops on Ukraine's eastern border,' NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a statement.
'The latest Russian military build-up further escalates the situation and undermines efforts aimed at finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis. This is a dangerous situation.'
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday the threat of a direct intervention by Russia's military in Ukraine has risen over the last couple of days.
NATO's statement said it was concerned Moscow could use 'the pretext of a humanitarian or peacekeeping mission as an excuse to send troops into Eastern Ukraine.'
(Reporting by Barbara Lewis and Tom Koerkemeier; editing by Foo Yun Chee)
Entities 0 Name: Russia Count: 5 1 Name: Ukraine Count: 4 2 Name: NATO Count: 3 3 Name: Barbara Lewis Count: 1 4 Name: Donald Tusk Count: 1 5 Name: Eastern Ukraine Count: 1 6 Name: Moscow Count: 1 7 Name: Oana Lungescu Count: 1 8 Name: Foo Yun Chee Count: 1 9 Name: Russian Count: 1 10 Name: Tom Koerkemeier Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1tW4N63 Title: NATO says Russia could be poised to invade Ukraine Description: Credit: Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin (UKRAINE - Tags: MILITARY CONFLICT CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTR41F3Z Armed pro-Russian separatists inspect wreckage near a damaged building following what locals say was a recent airstrike by Ukrainian forces in Donetsk, August 6, 2014. Stating the conflict in Ukraine was fueled by Russia, NATO said in a statement that the troop build-up had further escalated "a dangerous situation".