NATO chief says allies must prepare for the worst in Ukraine

By DAVID KEYTON and LORNE COOK
Associated Press

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is warning that the U.S.-led military organization must prepare for the worst as concern mounts that Russia could be preparing to invade Ukraine. Moscow denies it is planning to invade and accuses NATO of encircling Russia. But NATO is worried about a Russian buildup of heavy equipment and troops near Ukraine’s northern border, not far from Belarus. After NATO foreign ministers met Tuesday in Latvia, Stoltenberg told reporters, “You can discuss whether the likelihood for an incursion is 20% or 80%, it doesn’t matter. We need to be prepared for the worst.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that any renewed aggression by Russia “would trigger serious consequences.”