BRUSSELS: New Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday Russia must reverse course in Ukraine but stressed the alliance still remains ready to have a constructive relationship with Moscow.

Russia’s intervention in Ukraine “is a major challenge to Euro-Atlantic security”, former Norway prime minister Stoltenberg told his first press conference as Nato head after replacing Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

“We need to see a clear change in Russia’s actions, a change which demonstrates compliance with international law and with Russia’s international obligations and responsibilities,” he said.

But asked if he shared the view that Russia was acting as an adversary, Stoltenberg did not reply directly.

Instead, he recalled that while alliance leaders agreed at their Wales summit earlier this month to step up defence spending and Nato readiness, they “also underlined that we still aspire to a constructive relationship”.

Strengthening the alliance does not mean its 28 alliance members sought confrontation with Russia, he said.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2014