NATO expects that the Russian Army will mount “a full-scale attack” on neighboring Ukraine.
"All signs indicate that Russia is planning a full-scale attack on Ukraine," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a February 19 interview with German broadcaster ARD on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
“We all agree that the risk of an attack is very high,” Stoltenberg said.
"No troops are being withdrawn, as Russia says, but new troops are being added,” he said.
He said there were also indications that Russia was preparing to create a pretext for an attack.
His comments came as NATO relocated Ukraine staff from the capital Kyiv to Lviv in the west of the country and to Brussels for safety reasons.
"The safety of our personnel is paramount, so staff have been relocated to Lviv and Brussels. The NATO offices in Ukraine remain operational," A NATO official said on February 19, without giving any details on the number of staff relocated.
The move comes amid growing concern that Moscow could launch an attack on Ukraine.
NATO and allied countries were monitoring and assessing the situation very closely, according to the official, and continue to take all the necessary measures.
The U.S., Britain and several other Aestern countries have already relocated their embassy operations from Kyiv to the western city of Lviv out of concern for the safety of their staff.