NATO leaders united Saturday behind a policy of deterrence and dialogue with Russia after launching the alliance's biggest military revamp since the end of the Cold War to counter a resurgent Moscow.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a summit in Warsaw that they "stand together" on Russia, with NATO's eastern flank still nervous after Moscow's shock annexation of Crimea and the Ukraine conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has opposed NATO's decision to put four battalions in Poland and the Baltic states, seeing the expansion into Moscow's Soviet-era backyard as a security threat.
NATO is keen to downplay any divisions, but there have been calls from countries like France and Germany to avoid a Cold-War style stand-off when Moscow's help is needed on issues such as terrorism.
"The alliance is united, we stand together," Stoltenberg said when asked about talks the 28 NATO leaders had on Russia on Friday night.
"The united message is that defence and dialogue are what our relationship is based on."
Stoltenberg announced earlier this week that the alliance would hold fresh talks with Russia on Wednesday as a gesture of the West's openness and good faith.
- 'No Cold War situation' -
But French President Francois Hollande has appeared to offer more of an olive branch to Moscow, saying on Friday Russia was neither adversary or threat but a partner.
Asked if he agreed with Hollande, Stoltenberg said there was no "imminent threat" to any NATO ally, adding: "Russia is neither a strategic partner... but we are neither in a Cold War situation," he added.
Leaders will discuss Ukraine with President Petro Poroshenko later Saturday.
The United States and European Union have both imposed sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis but in Europe in particular there are growing calls for them to be scaled back.
France and Germany, which have strong political and economic ties to Russia, have played a leading role in efforts to solve the Ukraine conflict, helping to broker the Minsk ceasefire accords.
NATO's unprecedented decision to put 4,000 troops on the ground in eastern member states has meanwhile done much to win over previously sceptical leaders in the region
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, a sharp critic of Putin, said a stronger NATO would be better able to talk to Russia.
"I am softening" on the need for dialogue, Grybauskaite told AFP Saturday when asked if she was happy to see NATO upping its game. "We are not closing ourselves (behind) an iron wall.
Putin is however unlikely to miss the symbolic importance of the summit being held in Warsaw, the birthplace of the Soviet-era Warsaw Pact, once NATO's adversary.
Moscow bitterly opposes NATO's expansion into its Soviet-era satellites, seeing it as part of an attempt by the West to surround it.
Russia is even more critical of the Ballistic Missile Defence system the United States is building to counter missile threats from Iran or the Middle East, which NATO declared initially operational on Friday, saying it undercuts its nuclear deterrent.
- Afghanistan commitment -
NATO leaders meanwhile confirmed pledges to fund Afghanistan security forces through 2020, to combat Taliban rebels who are putting the Kabul government under intense pressure.
Stoltenberg said NATO will keep troops in Afghanistan through 2017 under its train and advise Resolute Support Mission but could not say when the alliance's longest military engagement might end.
"There's no reason to speculate exactly on how long it will continue. What we have seen is we are committed and we are ready to stay," Stoltenberg said of a war which has dragged on since 2001.
The 28-nation US-led alliance would look at the situation again next year, Stoltenberg said.
US President Barack Obama was forced this week to slow the US pullout due to the "precarious" security situation. Some 8,400 US troops will now remain in the war-ravaged country into next year, not 5,500 as planned.
The summit opened Friday under very heavy security overshadowed first by Britain's shock vote to quit the European Union and then the deadly shootings of police officers in Dallas.
The White House said Obama would now cut short a later stop in Spain to be able to visit Dallas next week.
NATO leaders united Saturday behind a policy of deterrence and dialogue with Russia after launching the alliance’s biggest military revamp since the end of the Cold War to counter a resurgent Moscow.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a summit in Warsaw that they “stand together” on Russia, with NATO’s eastern flank still nervous after Moscow’s shock annexation of Crimea and the Ukraine conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has opposed NATO’s decision to put four battalions in Poland and the Baltic states, seeing the expansion into Moscow’s Soviet-era backyard as a security threat.
NATO is keen to downplay any divisions, but there have been calls from countries like France and Germany to avoid a Cold-War style stand-off when Moscow’s help is needed on issues such as terrorism.
“The alliance is united, we stand together,” Stoltenberg said when asked about talks the 28 NATO leaders had on Russia on Friday night.
“The united message is that defence and dialogue are what our relationship is based on.”
Stoltenberg announced earlier this week that the alliance would hold fresh talks with Russia on Wednesday as a gesture of the West’s openness and good faith.
– ‘No Cold War situation’ –
But French President Francois Hollande has appeared to offer more of an olive branch to Moscow, saying on Friday Russia was neither adversary or threat but a partner.
Asked if he agreed with Hollande, Stoltenberg said there was no “imminent threat” to any NATO ally, adding: “Russia is neither a strategic partner… but we are neither in a Cold War situation,” he added.
Leaders will discuss Ukraine with President Petro Poroshenko later Saturday.
The United States and European Union have both imposed sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis but in Europe in particular there are growing calls for them to be scaled back.
France and Germany, which have strong political and economic ties to Russia, have played a leading role in efforts to solve the Ukraine conflict, helping to broker the Minsk ceasefire accords.
NATO’s unprecedented decision to put 4,000 troops on the ground in eastern member states has meanwhile done much to win over previously sceptical leaders in the region
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, a sharp critic of Putin, said a stronger NATO would be better able to talk to Russia.
“I am softening” on the need for dialogue, Grybauskaite told AFP Saturday when asked if she was happy to see NATO upping its game. “We are not closing ourselves (behind) an iron wall.
Putin is however unlikely to miss the symbolic importance of the summit being held in Warsaw, the birthplace of the Soviet-era Warsaw Pact, once NATO’s adversary.
Moscow bitterly opposes NATO’s expansion into its Soviet-era satellites, seeing it as part of an attempt by the West to surround it.
Russia is even more critical of the Ballistic Missile Defence system the United States is building to counter missile threats from Iran or the Middle East, which NATO declared initially operational on Friday, saying it undercuts its nuclear deterrent.
– Afghanistan commitment –
NATO leaders meanwhile confirmed pledges to fund Afghanistan security forces through 2020, to combat Taliban rebels who are putting the Kabul government under intense pressure.
Stoltenberg said NATO will keep troops in Afghanistan through 2017 under its train and advise Resolute Support Mission but could not say when the alliance’s longest military engagement might end.
“There’s no reason to speculate exactly on how long it will continue. What we have seen is we are committed and we are ready to stay,” Stoltenberg said of a war which has dragged on since 2001.
The 28-nation US-led alliance would look at the situation again next year, Stoltenberg said.
US President Barack Obama was forced this week to slow the US pullout due to the “precarious” security situation. Some 8,400 US troops will now remain in the war-ravaged country into next year, not 5,500 as planned.
The summit opened Friday under very heavy security overshadowed first by Britain’s shock vote to quit the European Union and then the deadly shootings of police officers in Dallas.
The White House said Obama would now cut short a later stop in Spain to be able to visit Dallas next week.
