NATO: "A new war could break out in Europe"

NATO: "A new war could break out in Europe"

It will not be easy to bridge the differences between Russia and NATO over Ukraine, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after the end of the NATO-Russia meeting in Brussels, the first in two years.

"There are significant differences between NATO allies and Russia. It will not be easy to bridge our differences, but it is a positive sign that all NATO allies and Russia have sat at the same table and engaged on key issues," Stoltenberg told reporters after talks at Alliance headquarters, Reuters reports.

According to media reports, Stoltenberg commented that there is a "real risk" of a new conflict breaking out in Europe amid tensions between Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance. The meeting of the NATO-Russia Council ended in Brussels after four hours, TASS reported earlier. At the first meeting of the Council in the last two years, the Russian delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, who was Russia's permanent representative to NATO for five years, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.

The Alliance was represented at the talks by the permanent representatives of 30 NATO member states, the Secretary General of the Alliance Jens Stoltenberg and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman.

The meeting was held two days after the talks on security guarantees between Russia and the United States in Geneva, which were led by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

USA: Russia has to make a choice

The United States called on Russia today to stay at the negotiating table after the first round of talks on Ukraine this week.

"If Russia leaves the negotiating table, it will be obvious that they have never been serious about diplomacy, so we are collectively preparing for each case," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters in Brussels after the NATO-Russia Council meeting.

Sherman pointed out that the difficult pace of bilateral and multilateral engagements that took place this week showed the readiness of the United States and its allies to negotiate.

"It is Russia that must make direct choices, de-escalation and diplomacy or confrontation and consequences," she said.