NATO agrees to prepare for complete pullout from Afghanistan by end of year --- BRUSSELS — NATO defense ministers agreed here Thursday to begin preparing for a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of this year, as a senior U.S. military official warned that “the progress we’ve made is not sustainable” by Afghan forces without an ongoing U.S. and international troop presence. -- The alliance also expressed strong concern about ongoing events in Ukraine and urged Russia “not to take any action that could create misunderstanding.” -- NATO’s action on Afghanistan followed President Obama’s order Tuesday to the U.S. military to develop plans for a so-called “zero option” of complete withdrawal if the Afghan government continues to refuse to sign a bilateral security agreement with the United States. -- NATO and U.S. defense officials, including Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, have made clear that their expectation — and their strong preference — is that U.S. and NATO forces will remain in Afghanistan for training and counterterrorism missions after the last combat troops leave in December. --- A twofold decision taken by NATO on Thursday, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, reaffirms the alliance commitment to a training mission after 2014. “On the other hand,” he said, “we also had to ask our military authorities to plan for alternatives, because we don’t know yet whether an appropriate legal framework will remain in force or whether we will get an invitation.” -- While both Obama and NATO agree that Afghan President Hamid Karzai does not intend to sign the agreement — originally scheduled for completion last fall — many here chose to look on the bright side and interpreted the U.S. announcement as clarifying a willingness to wait until after Karzai’s successor is elected this spring. - More, Karen DeYoung, Washingtonpost, at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/nato-agrees-to-prepare-for-complete-pullout-from-afghanistan-by-end-of-year/2014/02/27/f6b610a0-9fb3-11e3-878c-65222df220eb_story.html