American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Mar. 2, 2014 – NATO Secretary General Anders
Fogh Rasmussen today urged Russia to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine, according
his statements contained in a NATO news release.
Rasmussen commented on the situation in Ukraine before
attending meetings of the North Atlantic Council and the NATO-Ukraine
Commission in Brussels.
“I have convened the North Atlantic Council today because of
Russia’s military action in Ukraine. And because of President Putin’s threats
against this sovereign nation,” Rasmussen said in the release.
Following a Ukrainian pro-democracy coalition’s recent
ouster of Ukraine’s pro-Russian government, the Russian military has been
reported to be operating in and around the Crimea region in southeastern
Ukraine, where the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet has its principal base in
Sevastopol on the Black Sea. The Crimea region is home to an ethic-Russian
majority populace.
What Russia is doing now in Ukraine violates the principles
of the United Nations Charter, Rasmussen said in the release. Russia’s actions
in Ukraine, he added, threaten peace and security in Europe.
“Russia must stop its military activities and its threats,”
Rasmussen said. “Today we will discuss their implications, for European peace
and security and for NATO's relationship with Russia. Afterwards, we will meet
in the NATO-Ukraine Commission.”
NATO supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and
sovereignty, Rasmussen said.
“We support the right of the people of Ukraine to determine
their own future without outside interference,” he said. “And we emphasize the
need for Ukraine to continue to uphold the democratic rights of all people and
ensure that minority rights are protected.
“Ukraine is our neighbor,” Rasmussen continued, “and Ukraine
is a valued partner for NATO.”
Rasmussen said NATO urges “all parties to urgently continue
all efforts to move away from this dangerous situation.
“In particular, I call on Russia to de-escalate tensions,”
he added.
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