Brussels, 16 February 2022 (MIA) – North Macedonia shares the position that Russia should demonstrate real commitment to de-escalation, Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska said Wednesday in Brussels ahead of the NATO defence ministers’ meeting. Although Russia on Tuesday said it is withdrawing some of its troops around Ukraine, as seen in footages, NATO member countries want to see more to be done, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, MIA reports from Brussels. “If they really start to withdraw forces, that's something we will welcome. But that remains to be seen. They have always moved forces back and forth… But the trend over the last weeks and months has been a steady increase in the Russian capabilities close to Ukraine's borders. So Russia retains the capability of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine without any warning time,” Stoltenberg said before the meeting of the NATO defence ministers. Minister Petrovska echoed the same sentiment. “North Macedonia sees no real withdrawal as well. Political statements are only a step to de-escalation. In order to be sure, we need to see changes on the ground and hopefully the situation will improve soon,” she said in a statement to MIA. In recent weeks, NATO leaders have been engaged in intensive diplomatic activity with Russia in hopes that the crisis between Russia and Ukraine will be settled through diplomatic means. NATO, however, wants proof. In late January, NATO sent a series of proposals to Moscow regarding the issues it is prepared to discuss, but it is refusing to accept the Russian demand for ruling out the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO. NATO, Minister Petrovska said, is giving dialogue and diplomatic solution a chance. “The Alliance has the responsibility to protect the territorial integrity and security of all its members. I expect that at the meeting we will reaffirm the unity of all NATO member countries as well as their security,” she stated. The defence ministers of Ukraine and Georgia are also in Brussels today for talks at NATO about security and territorial integrity. On Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Ukraine’s NATO membership is not on the agenda in the near future. NATO chief Stoltenberg has said that it is up to the member countries and candidates to decide whether to join the Alliance. “This is for 30 allies to decide. Russia is not deciding who's going to be a member of NATO or not. And this is a matter of principle that all allies have stated clearly again and again. And this is about respecting the right of every nation in Europe to choose their own path, whether they want to belong to an organization as NATO or whether they don't want to belong to NATO… NATO cannot sign a legally binding agreement with Russia, where we say that there will be no further enlargement of NATO,” he stated on Wednesday. In the meantime, utmost efforts are made for finding diplomatic solution and signals coming from Moscow are the reason for “cautious optimism”, said Stoltenberg adding NATO is also prepared for the worst possible scenario. Furthermore, Minister Petrovska said that the security of North Macedonia is stable and under control. “At this point, there are no real threats to the security of our country and the relevant institutions are prepared in that regard,” she stated.