US, French Defense Chiefs Discuss Need To Bolster NATO Amid Ukraine Crisis - Pentagon

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2022) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his French counterpart Florence Parly discussed over the telephone thte continued need to strengthen the NATO alliance amid the Ukraine crisis, Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby said.

"Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with France's Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly today over the phone...They also discussed the continued need for NATO Allies to demonstrate unity and bolster the Alliance in the face of potential Russian aggression," Kirby said in a press release on Friday.

Austin and Parly discussed Russia's military activity on its Western border and in Belarus, Kirby said.

Austin thanked France for its leadership role on deterrence on the NATO's Eastern flank and in counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel, Kirby said.

The United States and its allies have accused Russia of amassing troops and military equipment in preparation for an invasion of Ukraine. Washington has threatened massive sanctions should Russia decide to invade Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly rejected the accusations, saying that it has the right to move its troops within its sovereign territory and is not planning to attack any country.