Anders Fogh Rasmussen: ”Russia’s actions have consequences”
March 5, 2014
Remarks by the NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Press Conference held following the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at NATO HQ, Brussels, 5 March 2014.
The situation in Ukraine presents serious implications for the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic area. And Russia continues to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its own international commitments. So NATO decided today to take a number of immediate steps.
We have suspended the planning for our first NATO-Russia joint mission. The maritime escort for the U.S. ship Cape Ray, which will neutralise Syria’s chemical weapons. Let me stress, this will not affect the destruction of chemical weapons, but Russia will not be involved in the escort of the US vessel. We have also decided that no staff-level civilian or military meetings with Russia will take place for now. We have put the entire range of NATO-Russia cooperation under review. NATO Foreign Ministers will take decisions on this in early April.
These steps send a clear message: Russia’s actions have consequences.