NATO says Russian troops regrouping, shifting their focus to the east to try to take Donbas region
April 6, 2022, 5:39 pm

NATO says Russian troops regrouping, shifting their focus to the east to try to take Donbas region

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba give a press conference following their meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, on April 13, 202. (Reuters)

The US News reported, citing Reuters, NATO Secretary-General Jensen Stolen said on Tuesday (5 Apr), Russia is likely to launch a new offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region in the next few weeks. He added that allies had time to help prepare the Ukrainian military.

Speaking a day before NATO foreign ministers gather in Brussels to discuss more financial, military and humanitarian support for Ukraine, Stoltenberg said Russia was planning a "very concentrated" offensive.

Stoltenberg told a news conference: "We now see a significant movement of (Russian) troops away from Kyiv to regroup, re-arm and re-supply and shift their focus to the east."

He said before Wednesday's meeting of NATO foreign ministers: "In the coming weeks, we expect a further Russian push in eastern and southern Ukraine to try to take the entire Donbas and to create a land bridge to occupied Crimea."

NATO Secretary-General Jensen Stolen said on Tuesday (5 Apr), Russia is likely to launch a new offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region in the next few weeks. He added that allies had time to help prepare the Ukrainian military

Stoltenberg's comments appeared to confirm Moscow's announcement in late March that it was refocusing on "the complete liberation of the Donbas", an industrial region partly under Russian-backed separatist control since 2014.

Stoltenberg said it would be a new, crucial phase of Russia's Feb. 24 invasion, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation".

Foreign fighters in Ukraine - who are they and is there one background for these groups,?

He said: "Repositioning of the Russian troops will take some time, some weeks."

He said that: "In that window, it is extremely important that NATO allies provide support".

Stoltenberg said that Foreign ministers on Wednesday and Thursday are set to discuss how to send more anti-tank weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to Ukraine.

Putin blames Western sanctions for triggering a global food crisis and soaring energy prices

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expect to attend part of the two-day meeting in Brussels.

Source: usnews

Foreign fighters in Ukraine - who are they and is there one background for these groups,? Germany arrests Syrian man accused of war crimes for torturing captives with Daesh

Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.