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| Russia 'to alter military doctrine towards Nato' | Russia 'to alter military doctrine towards Nato' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Russia is to alter its military doctrine as a result of the Ukraine crisis and Nato's presence in eastern Europe, a top Russian official says. | Russia is to alter its military doctrine as a result of the Ukraine crisis and Nato's presence in eastern Europe, a top Russian official says. |
| Mikhail Popov, a Kremlin adviser, said that deteriorating relations with the US and Nato would be reflected in the updated military strategy. | Mikhail Popov, a Kremlin adviser, said that deteriorating relations with the US and Nato would be reflected in the updated military strategy. |
| Nato said on Monday it would boost its presence in eastern Europe to protect its members. | Nato said on Monday it would boost its presence in eastern Europe to protect its members. |
| Ukrainian troops are battling pro-Russian rebels in east Ukraine. | Ukrainian troops are battling pro-Russian rebels in east Ukraine. |
| Ukraine's defence minister on Monday accused Russia of launching a "great war" that could claim tens of thousands of lives - claims dismissed by Russia, which denies actively supporting the rebels. | Ukraine's defence minister on Monday accused Russia of launching a "great war" that could claim tens of thousands of lives - claims dismissed by Russia, which denies actively supporting the rebels. |
| 'Aggravating tensions' | |
| Mr Popov, deputy secretary of Russia's National Security Council, told Russia's RIA news agency that "the military infrastructure of Nato member states" was "getting closer to [Russian] borders, including via enlargement". | |
| Nato's actions were one of the key "external threats" to Russia, he said. | |
| "Nato's planned action... is evidence of the desire of US and Nato leaders to continue their policy of aggravating tensions with Russia", Mr Popov said. | |
| There were no details on how the doctrine might change. | There were no details on how the doctrine might change. |
| Nato announced its plans on Monday for a rapid response force of several thousand troops to protect eastern European members against possible Russian aggression. | Nato announced its plans on Monday for a rapid response force of several thousand troops to protect eastern European members against possible Russian aggression. |
| The force, to be made up of troops provided by member states on a rotating basis, would be able to be deployed within 48 hours, Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said. | |
| Military equipment and supplies would be pre-positioned in member states in the east so the force could "travel light, but strike hard if needed", he added. | |
| Mr Rasmussen insisted that the plans would not breach the 1997 Nato-Russia Founding Act, which forbids the presence of permanent bases in eastern and central Europe. | |
| The new measures are set to be approved at a Nato summit in Wales this week. | The new measures are set to be approved at a Nato summit in Wales this week. |
| The Nato security alliance covers 28 member states, including eastern European countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic. It does not include Ukraine. | The Nato security alliance covers 28 member states, including eastern European countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic. It does not include Ukraine. |
| 'Runway destroyed' | |
| Meanwhile, crisis talks between Ukraine officials, rebels and Russian envoys ended without agreement on Monday. | |
| Ukraine's army has been forced to retreat amid a series of gains by pro-Russian rebels in both the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, and further south around the port of Mariupol. | |
| On Monday, Ukraine's army said it had been forced to withdraw from Luhansk airport after it was attacked by Russian tanks. | |
| The acting Luhansk region administration chief Irina Verihina told Ukraine's 112 TV: "Our troops have withdrawn, but the runway is completely destroyed. There's no way planes can land there." | |
| 'I can take Kiev' | |
| Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has accused Russia of "direct, overt aggression against Ukraine". | |
| Russia has repeatedly denied Ukrainian and Western accusations that it is providing troops and equipment to the rebels. | |
| Meanwhile, a Russian official responded to allegations that Russian President Vladimir Putin had commented: "If I want to, I can take Kiev in two weeks". | |
| The reported comments were said to be made in a phone call to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, and were reported in Italy's La Repubblica newspaper. | |
| Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said that whether or not the words were spoken, the quote "was taken out of context and had a totally different meaning", Russia's Itar-Tass news agency reported. | |
| Analysis - Jonathan Marcus, BBC News, diplomatic correspondent | |
| In response to the Ukraine crisis, Nato is to establish a new rapidly deployable "spearhead" force capable of being deployed within a matter of only two days. | |
| This is all part of a much wider overhaul of Nato's response forces which Nato officials say is not solely linked to Ukraine; it will be capable of deploying anywhere within the alliance to give immediate reassurance and a demonstration of alliance resolve. | |
| For such a force to be effective there will have to be regular exercises and Nato officials note that headquarters and other so-called "enablers" - key logistics elements for example - will need to be based closer to areas of potential threat - for that read closer to Nato's eastern and southern borders. Fuel stocks and ammunition may also need to be pre-positioned further east. |