Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg - Donbas conflict not NATO's responsibility

The conflict in southeastern Ukraine (Donbas) is not the responsibility of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has told Sky News.

"Our main responsibility is to defend and to protect all NATO allies and no NATO ally has been attacked," Stoltenberg said on Friday, reminding that Ukraine is not a member of NATO "so there is a difference between Ukraine and NATO members, because the security guarantee is for NATO allies."

A military conflict started in southeastern Ukraine in April, 2014, when Kiev launched a military operation against independence supporters who refused to recognize the new coup-installed government. The Kiev authorities, as well as Western countries and NATO have been accusing Russia of being involved in the situation in Ukraine, going as far as to claim that Russia has sent weapons to Donbas independence supporters.

Stoltenberg told Sky News that adherence to the Minsk truce is crucial to the stabilization of the situation in Ukraine.

"The most important thing now is to support the implementation of the Minsk agreements, meaning respecting the ceasefire, making sure that all their weapons are withdrawn from the frontline," Stoltenberg said.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced that Ukraine continues to build up its military potential and defense capability, having resumed regular military training, which will be conducted with the participation of NATO instructors.