INTERNATIONAL: NATO has accused Russia on Wednesday ,February 16, of sending more troops to a massive military build-up around Ukraine, even as Moscow said that it was withdrawing forces and was open to diplomacy.

Separately, a senior Western intelligence official has warned that Russian military exercises were at their peak stage and the risk of Russian aggression against Ukraine would remain high for the rest of February.

At the start of two days of talks among NATO defense ministers, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has appeared unconvinced the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine had lessened, and has voiced guarded hopes for diplomacy.

The German Chancellor has said, they have not seen any withdrawal of Russian forces. And of course, that contradicts the message of diplomatic efforts. What the world see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way. So far, no de-escalation.

Moscow wants to stop the former Soviet state from ever joining the NATO military alliance. NATO has refused to concede that demand and defense ministers sought to show a united front on Wednesday.

U.S. President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that more than 150,000 Russian troops were still massed near Ukraine's borders.

The senior Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has said intelligence showed Russian military exercises would be at their most active during the remainder of February.

The official has also said that there are no credible signs at this point that there will be any kind of military de-escalation.

Russia could now attack Ukraine "with essentially no, or little-to-no, warning," the official has added. 

^{PHOTO: DEFENCE MINISTERS ARRIVING FOR NATO ROUNDTABLE MEETING, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG STARTING MEETING}