Stoltenberg Reportedly Says NATO Will Not Deploy Troops in Ukraine

He added, however, that the alliance is not ready to compromise with Russia on the alliance's fundamental principles.

NATO won't send combat troops to Ukraine, the alliance's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"NATO will not deploy NATO combat troops to Ukraine," he said in an interview with CNN.

He also said that NATO will send a written response to Russia's security proposals this week in parallel with the United States.

"We are finalizing at NATO the proposals, the written document we will send to them later this week. We will do that in parallel with the United States," Stoltenberg said in an interview with CNN.

NATO is ready to "sit down and discuss arms control, disarmament, transparency on military activities, risk reduction mechanisms and other issues which are relevant for European security," he said.

"But we are not ready to compromise on core principles," Stoltenberg said.

Earlier in the day, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said not a single NATO country was ready to deploy a large contingent of troops in Ukraine. Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said Croatia would withdraw its military from the NATO forces deployed in the region in the event of a conflict between Russia and Ukraine.