The next is a transcript of an interview with NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg that aired Sunday, February 20, 2022, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: We flip now to NATO's secretary normal, Jens Stoltenberg. He joins us from Brussels. Good morning to you, Mr. Secretary. I'll get proper to the newest reporting from CBS, which is that intelligence exhibits Russian troops have truly obtained orders to proceed with the invasion. And as David Martin reported, that goes all the way down to the element of how they'd maneuver of their sector of the battlefield. How will NATO reply to this?
SECRETARY GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG: So our fundamental duty is to be sure that all allies are secure and safe and that we offer a deterrence and protection to them, and that is the rationale why we have already got elevated our presence- army presence of NATO forces within the jap a part of the alliance. And in addition–
MARGARET BRENNAN: You may be rising that?
SEC. GEN STOLTENBERG: why we're able to additional reinforce that presence if there's an assault on Ukraine. This has been a disaster within the making for a very long time, so subsequently we have now progressively elevated our presence and, as I mentioned, able to additional reinforce that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Now that Russia and Belarus have mentioned these troops are staying within the north of Ukraine. Does that imply NATO has to both, you understand, improve extra superior weaponry within the area or transfer in additional troops? Or is that also but to be determined?
SEC. GEN STOLTENBERG: We've- we have now the entire (inaudible) since 2014, when Russia invaded and annexed Crimea and- and began to destabilize jap Ukraine Donbas. We've strengthened and applied the largest reinforcement of collective protection for the reason that finish of the Chilly Battle, with battlegroups within the Baltic area in- in Poland, with elevated protection spending yearly since 2014 and with a better readiness of the NATO forces. So we have now applied vital reinforcements of- of NATO already. After which during the last weeks or months, we have now augmented- added much more forces and troops to our presence in East. I believe what we are actually confronted with is a brand new regular in European safety. We see Russia being prepared to contest basic values for our safety by means of drive and in addition by the specter of use of drive. And- and subsequently I- we have now began the entire work on or extra longer-term adjustment of NATO's posture, NATO's presence–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper.
SEC. GEN STOLTENBERG: alongside the jap flank.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We additionally know that U.S. initiatives there might be as many as 5 million or extra refugees created by an invasion. What is going to NATO do if Russia weaponizes refugees and pushes them into your member states?
SEC. GEN STOLTENBERG: So to start with, an important factor is to stop a brand new armed assault on Ukraine, and subsequently we help all efforts by NATO allies to discover a political answer, and NATO's additionally prepared to sit down down within the NATO-Russia Council with Russia. If Russia decides to make use of drive, that will, after all, be a lot of individuals fleeing Ukraine. The NATO Response Pressure, the forces we're ready to deploy, as an illustration, to Poland, to Romania, to all of the neighboring nations, even have the capabilities that may assist to cope with migrant and refugee crises in order that we are able to help. We are going to by no means be the primary responder relating to refugee disaster, however we will help and and help the efforts of NATO allies. And we did that already in Poland and Lithuania. Whenever you noticed Belarus attempting to weaponize or use refugees and migrants as a way to to intimidate these nations earlier final yr.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Vladimir Putin personally oversaw some strategic nuclear workout routines yesterday. Is that this an try to intimidate NATO?
SEC. GEN STOLTENBERG: It's a manner for them to reveal all of the capabilities they've. This can be a common train, nevertheless it was deliberate for final fall and now it occurs within the midst of this vital Russian army construct up in and round Ukraine with the most important focus of fight troops I've seen in Europe for the reason that finish of the Chilly Battle. So final week, truly, Russia mentioned that they may step again. Russia is stepping up with extra troops and better and even nearer to the to the Ukrainian border. And in addition the truth that this train, they mentioned, ought to finish as we speak will now proceed. So all of this suits into the image that Russia is making ready for an invasion of Ukraine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Greater image although, Ukraine's president blasted the West as you understand yesterday when he spoke at Munich, he mentioned, The safety structure of our world is brittle. It is out of date. The west is treating Ukraine like a buffer between itself and Russia." Precisely what's the timeline for Ukraine's membership in NATO's?
SEC. GEN STOLTENBERG: We've not set any timeline for that about NATO allies have been very clear that it's for Ukraine and 30 NATO allies to resolve on membership and never Russia. And second, we have now supplied over a few years vital help to Ukraine. We assist them to modernize the protection and safety establishments to strengthen their cyber defenses. And NATO allies, the US, United Kingdom, Canada and others have additionally supplied vital coaching and totally different sorts of army tools, defensive weapons. So the Ukrainian Armed Forces are a lot stronger now with higher outfitted, higher skilled troops than in 2014. And this isn't least due to all of the help that NATO's allies have supplied over all these years.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. Secretary Normal, we'll be watching intently what occurs within the coming days. Thanks to your time this morning.
SEC. GEN STOLTENBERG: Thanks a lot, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We'll be proper again with much more FACE THE NATION, so stick with us.