NATO Rejects Russia's Demand To Withdraw Troops From Bulgaria And Romania

JAKARTA - Countries that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) rejected Russia's demands to withdraw troops from Bulgaria and Romania on Friday.

The move was announced as diplomatic efforts continue in a bid to prevent war in Europe after Russia amassed tens of thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border.

"NATO will not relinquish our ability to protect and defend one another, including with a troop presence in the eastern part of the alliance," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in a statement, quoted from TASS, January 22.

Moscow has demanded legally binding guarantees from NATO, with the security alliance set to halt its expansion and return to its borders in 1997.

Earlier on Friday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said the security guarantees Moscow was seeking from the West included provisions requiring NATO troops to leave Romania and Bulgaria.

Answering a question about what that would mean for Bulgaria and Romania, which joined NATO after 1997, the ministry said Russia wants all foreign troops, weapons, and other military hardware to be withdrawn from those countries.

NATO rejected this demand, saying that it would create first and second-class NATO members, which the alliance would not accept.

"We reject the idea of influence in Europe. We will always respond to any damage to our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defenses," said a NATO spokeswoman.

"NATO is vigilant and continues to assess the need to strengthen the eastern part of our Alliance," she stressed.