Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to mediate between Kiev and Moscow, while the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) warned Russia of the consequences of any "aggression" against Ukraine, amid reports of Russian military buildup on the Ukrainian border.

NTV and other Turkish media quoted Erdogan as telling reporters on the plane that took him from Turkmenistan that Turkey wants peace in the Black Sea region, and that he frequently discusses this issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Whether it's as a mediator or by talking to them about the issue by having these talks with Ukraine and with Mr. Putin, we want, God willing, to have a role in resolving this," he added.

Ukraine accuses Russia of preparing to attack it after massing large forces on its border, and Ukrainian military intelligence said that Moscow is making preparations for an attack in early 2022.

While Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said today that his country welcomes any friendly effort to end the crisis with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on the Turkish president's statements.

Kuleba stressed that Russia has mobilized 115,000 soldiers at his country's borders, in the Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, and in areas under the control of pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine, calling on his country's allies to move quickly to deter Russia from launching a possible aggression against it.

The Ukrainian minister indicated that the Russian build-up includes tanks, artillery systems, electronic warfare systems, air and naval forces, warning that Russia could launch an attack "in the blink of an eye."

Russian exile

But Russian presidential spokesman (Kremlin) Dmitry Peskov denied on Sunday that his country was preparing to attack Ukraine or any other party.

"The hysteria fueled by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about our intention to attack his country is baseless," Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia's TASS news agency.

Earlier, Moscow described the accusations against it of preparing to attack Ukraine as American propaganda.

The Ukrainian president had confirmed that the Ukrainian intelligence had revealed a Russian plot to carry out a coup in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg said that the ministerial meeting of NATO will discuss the Russian military build-up (Anatolia Agency)

NATO warns Russia

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned Russia of the consequences of any aggression against Ukraine, stressing that it will have political and economic consequences, calling on Moscow to be transparent and reduce tension.

Today at a joint press conference with Latvian President Igles Levits in the capital Riga on the eve of the NATO foreign ministers meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, Stoltenberg said that the alliance is closely following the situation on the Ukrainian-Russian border with concern.

He pointed out that Russia has mobilized its forces in the region in a large and unusual way for the second time this year.

He pointed out that this exacerbates tension and increases the possibility of miscalculations.

Stolenberg said that the ministerial meeting of the alliance will discuss the Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine.

Lukashenko vows

For his part, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that his country would not stand idly by if the West ignited a war in the Donbass region in southeastern Ukraine or around the borders of Russia.

He added that those he described as enemies are trying to punish Russia by accusing it of preparing a military attack against Ukraine without evidence.