Thread by @jseldin

ICYMI: @NATO SecGen @jensstoltenberg briefs media following extraordinary meeting of alliance defense ministers on #Russia|n invasion of #Ukraine

"We all paid tribute to the courage of the #Ukrainian ppl & the Ukrainian armed forces" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg

Says ministers heard from #Ukraine DefMin @oleksiireznikov

.@NATO defense ministers "agreed that we must continue to provide significant support to #Ukraine, including w/military supplies, financial help & humanitarian aid" per @jensstoltenberg

"Pres. Putin must stop this war immediately" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg "...withdraw his forces now & engage in diplomacy in good faith"

"#Moscow should be in no doubt - @NATO will not tolerate any attack on allied sovereignty or territorial integrity" per @jensstoltenberg

"We have already activated our defense plans to shield the alliance...100s of thousands of forces on heightened alert across the alliance"

NEW: "We face a new reality for our security, so we must reset our collective defense & deterrence for the longer term" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg

Says military commanders have been tasked to develop options across across all domains

More on @NATO defense/deterrence reset -"On land, our new posture should include substantially more forces in the eastern part of the alliance at higher readiness w/more prepositioned equipment & supplies" per @jensstoltenberg

Reset also calls for more allied air power, integrated air defense and a great naval defense presence - and more training, per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg

#Ukraine no fly zone?

Allies united that NATO should not deploy forces in the ground or in the airspace over #Ukraine" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg "We have a responsibility to ensure that this conflict, this war doesn't escalate beyond Ukraine"

"We see death. We see destruction. We see human suffering in #Ukraine but this could become even worse if @NATO took actions that actually that turned this into a full-fledged war btw NATO & #Russia" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg

"Ministers addressed that today..."

"The message to #Ukraine is the same now as it has been for years-that Ukraine is a sovereign,independent nation that has its own right to choose its own path" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg

"It's up to them whether they aspire to NATO membership...not for #Russia to try to veto"

"We support all efforts to find a negotiated solution...to find a diplomatic solution" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg

"We support #Ukraine bcs we know what they can achieve at the negotiating table..."

"We have no plans of deploying NATO troops on the ground in #Ukraine" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg, asked about calls for a possible NATO peacekeeping force

Any signs #Russia genuine abt peace talks?

"On the ground we don't see any sign" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg, but adds #Ukraine's ability to fight back with support from NATO allies is giving #Kyiv the ability to negotiate w/#Russia from a stronger position

A decision on how to carry out the NATO defense/deterrence reset could come by June, per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg

"Pres. Putin totally underestimated the strength of the #Ukrainian armed forces" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg "Putin underestimated the unity of the Ukrainian ppl, & the courage of the Ukrainian ppl
& the Ukrainian leadership"

#Putin's hopes for a "quick victory, this blitzkrieg taking control over #Kyiv within days has absolutely failed" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg "But we should not underestimate #Russia's capabilities when it comes to continuing the war& also to continue to attack,including cities"

"Even though they have made severe mistakes, #Russia maintains a large capability of conventional armed forces" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg "They have also used nuclear rhetoric...threatening both NATO allies & #Ukraine

"We must not underestimate the dangers related to the military capabilities of #Russia, including their will to actually use force & impose devastation and destruction on others" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg

Asked abt #Georgia, @NATO's @jensstoltenberg says "We need to learn from what is going on in #Ukraine today...we need to support these countries which are at risk now. It's better to support and help them now than after a military intervention"

"We could have done even more for #Ukraine" per @NATO's @jensstoltenberg, calling on allies to do more for #Georgia

"#Russia remains a formidable military power" cautions @NATO's @jensstoltenberg when asked abt who will win the #Russia-#Ukraine war