“We all agree that the risk of an attack is very high,” Stoltenberg added in his interview with the German “ARD” channel.
The interview was broadcast shortly after the alliance announced that it had transferred its staff in Ukraine from the capital, Kiev, to the western city of Lviv, and to Brussels, to ensure their safety.
Earlier, a NATO official announced that the alliance had transferred its personnel in Ukraine from the capital, Kiev, to the western city of Lviv, and to Brussels, where it is based, in order to ensure their safety.
The official did not give any details about the numbers of these employees, saying only that “the safety of our employees is paramount, so the employees have been moved to Lviv and Brussels. NATO offices in Ukraine are still operating.”
“NATO and its member states are closely monitoring and assessing the situation, and continue to take all necessary measures,” he added.
Western countries have moved several diplomats from Kiev to the city of Lviv, near the border with Poland, for fear of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The United States is the main power in NATO, and its president, Joe Biden, warned Friday that he was “convinced” that within a week Russia would launch a large-scale military attack on Ukraine, including the capital, Kiev.