NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the organization is open to discussion with Russia and that it stands ready to protect and defend its allies.

Following his meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris in the framework of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Stoltenberg tweeted:

"Thank you @VP Kamala Harris for your personal commitment to #NATO & for the significant #US contribution to our Alliance. Transatlantic unity is key at this critical time. We remain open for dialogue with #Russia & determined to protect and defend all Allies."

The West and Ukraine have accused Russia of amassing soldiers near the Ukrainian border in preparation for a potential “invasion” in recent months. Russia has stated that it has no plans to launch a military operation against Ukraine, but that it does have the right to maneuver its soldiers within its own borders.

Russia voiced concern about NATO military action near its borders and continuous military backing for Ukraine, which includes an increase in the number of Western instructors in the breakaway Donbas region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow does not rule out the possibility that the West's "hysteria" around Ukraine is intended to hide Kiev's attempts to sabotage the Minsk Agreements on Donbass.