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 Stating the conflict in Ukraine was fueled by Russia, NATO said in
a statement that the troop build-up had further escalated "a
dangerous situation".
"We're not going to guess what's on Russia's mind, but we can see
what Russia is doing on the ground – and that is of great concern.
Russia has amassed around 20,000 combat-ready troops on Ukraine’s
eastern border," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in an emailed
statement.
NATO was concerned that Moscow could use "the pretext of a
humanitarian or peace-keeping mission as an excuse to send troops
into Eastern Ukraine", she said.
Moscow denies Western accusations that it has armed and supported
rebels who are fighting Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine. It
announced new military exercises to take place all this week,
involving bombers and warplanes on Monday in a show of strength near
the border with Ukraine.
 Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday the threat of a
direct intervention by Russia's military in Ukraine has risen over
the last couple of days.
NATO said early this year that Russia had amassed some 40,000 troops
close to the Ukraine border. By June, the number had dropped to less
than 1,000, but then Russia started building the force up again.
A NATO military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
that early this month Russia had significantly increased the number
of troops near the Russian border.
The roughly 20,000-strong troop presence included tanks, infantry,
artillery, air defense systems, as well as logistics troops, special
forces, and various aircraft, the officer said.
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Previously, Russia has used military exercises as cover for
intervention, military analysts say.
The European Union and the United States last week agreed tough new
sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine, marking a new
phase in the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since
the Cold War.
The conflict worsened dramatically after the downing of Malaysian
flight MH17 over rebel-held territory on July 17 by what Western
countries say was a Russian-supplied missile.
(Reporting by Barbara Lewis and Tom Koerkemeier in Brussels;
additional reporting by Adrian Croft in London; editing by Foo Yun
Chee)
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