Cuba's aging former leader Fidel Castro has accused the West of war-mongering in the Middle East and eastern Europe, comparing Nato to the Nazi SS.
The intervention from the now retired communist leader, seemingly in defence of the pro-Russia factions in Ukraine, comes as that country's defence minister accused Russia of launching a "great war" in the east which could cost the lives of tens of thousands.
"A great war has arrived at our doorstep - the likes of which Europe has not seen since World War Two," Ukrainian Defence Minister Valeriy Heletey wrote on Facebook.
"Unfortunately, the losses in such a war will be measured not in the hundreds but thousands and tens of thousands," he added.
It was "hard to believe that such statements can be made by the defence minister of a civilised state," Russia's foreign ministry retorted.
On Monday, Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen unveiled a new Readiness Action Plan, including proposals for a new force of several thousand troops to act as a "spearhead" to be deployed at very short notice to help member states defend themselves against any threat, including Russia.
Backed by air and naval assets, the unit would be made up of troops contributed on a rolling basis by the 28 Nato member states, including the UK. Although Ukraine is not a member of Nato, its president Petro Poroshenko will join leaders of Nato nations at this week's summit in Wales, and British troops will take part in a series of large-scale exercises in former Eastern Bloc countries in an effort to demonstrate the alliance's commitment to them.
Crisis talks aimed at breaking the deadlock between the Kiev government and pro-Russia separatists in the east, which had been ongoing in the Belarussian capital of Minsk have broken up without any peaceful conclusion being reached, and are set to continue on Friday.
(The Huffington Post)
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