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NATO has not seen any evidence of Russia pulling back troops from the Ukraine border after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a withdrawal, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Monday.
Talking about the upcoming Ukrainian presidential elections, he stressed the importance of its accordance with international laws and standards. "This is the vote that counts for Ukraine and the international community," he said.
On May 25, Ukraine will hold early presidential elections, which the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk have refused to recognize.
The two regions proclaimed independence from Kiev on May 11 following referendums which followed the example of the March referendum in Crimea, where a large majority supported the peninsula separating from Ukraine and joining Russia -- a move not recognized by Kiev and the West.
According to the Kremlin press service, Russia on Monday started to withdraw troops from the regions bordering Ukraine in an apparent effort to ease tension between Moscow and Kiev.
"Due to completion of the planned spring drills at the training ranges in Rostov, Belgorod and Bryansk regions, President Vladimir Putin ordered the Defense Minister (Sergei Shoigu) to return the troops to their permanent bases," the Kremlin press service said.
STRENGTHENING SAFETY FOR ALLIES
Rasmussen said NATO had taken immediate measures to consider a readiness action plan to strengthen a so-called "response force" to respond quickly to threats.
"We have all plans in place to ensure effective protection of all allies including the Baltics and the means to do it," he said.
"We see a completely new security situation in Europe, less predictable and more dangerous. This has implications now and for the future," Rasmussen added.
NATO on April 16 agreed on a package of extra military measures to reinforce the alliance's collective defense in wake of the crisis in Ukraine, which include enhanced exercises, updated defense plans and appropriate deployments.
Rasmussen called the recent large-scale exercise in Estonia involving 6,000 troops from across NATO "a good example of steps to bolster our forces and readiness."
The top NATO official also urged member states to raise their defense budgets to effectively deal with the security situation in Europe. "A credible defense and deterrence need credible capabilities and capabilities cost money. But our security is the foundation for our prosperity," Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen expressed concern over the lower-than-expected defense spending in member states when he spoke at at the Bratislava global security forum last week.
"It's time to stop the budgetary restrictions over defense spending. NATO commits its member states to allocating 2 percent of GDP to defense. We need more financial resources to reach this level," he said.
