UK concerned as Spain mulls refueling of Russian warships

CORRECTS NAME - NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, addresses the media at the start of a meeting of the North Atlantic Council Defence Ministers session at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. NATO defence ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss tense relations with Russia, how to help Middle East nations combat extremism and cooperation between the military alliance and the European Union. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) (The Associated Press)

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, right, talks with Britain's Secretary for Defense Michael Fallon during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Defense Ministers session at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels to discuss tense relations with Russia, how to help Middle East nations combat extremism and cooperation between the military alliance and the European Union.(AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) (The Associated Press)

Britain is expressing concern that its NATO ally Spain is considering refueling a fleet of Russian warships that could be used to ramp up air attacks in Syria.

U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said Wednesday that "we would be extremely concerned if a NATO member should consider assisting a Russian carrier group that might end up bombing Syria."

Fallon told reporters as Alliance defense ministers gathered in Brussels that "on the contrary, NATO should be standing together."

The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and a task group of support vessels have steamed through the North Sea and English Channel in recent days heading to the Mediterranean Sea.

Spain said Wednesday that it is reconsidering whether to allow the flotilla to refuel in its North African enclave of Ceuta.