Rasmussen Takes Kiev’s Side, Urges Russian Retreat
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen openly said that Russia is trying to destabilise Ukraine as a sovereign nation. Rasmussen’s statement came after the extraordinary meeting of NATO held at Kiev’s request.
“This is not an isolated action, but part of a dangerous pattern over many months to destabilise Ukraine as a sovereign nation,” Rasmussen said as reported on NATO’s website.
Rasmussen also described Russia’s alleged strategy, saying that Russian forces are engaged in direct military operations inside Ukraine and that Moscow “continues to maintain thousands of combat-ready troops close to Ukraine’s borders. This is a blatant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It defies all diplomatic efforts for a peaceful solution.”
Rasmussen condemned Moscow, urging it to cease “its illegal military actions.”
On the other hand, Ukrainian authorities are going forward with their plan to trigger economic recovery through funds from the IMF and the World Bank. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk confirmed his country satisfied all conditions to obtain another tranche of economic support from the IMF, adding that Kiev should receive a total of USD 2 billion.
Yatsenyuk also reiterated Ukraine’s determination to become a member of the European Union.
“According to the law, the principal and the sole objective of Ukraine's foreign policy is the acquiring of the European Union’s membership. The mentioned law prohibits the Ukrainian state to take any decision concerning membership in any other economic, political or military alliances, the one which contradicts the principal goal of Ukraine's membership in the European Union. After this law is adopted, Ukraine will be banned to be a member in the Customs or Eurasian, and other various kinds of the so-called unions, which in essence is nothing other than the Soviet Union on behalf of the Russian Federation,” Yatsenyuk said in a note released on Friday.
Meanwhile, Austria and Italy also tried to intervene to stabilise the situation, asking Moscow to be more cooperative.
‘Vladimir Putin and Matteo Renzi stressed the need for further efforts on the part of the international community to assist in stopping the bloodshed and preventing a humanitarian catastrophe in the southeast of Ukraine, as well as achieving a speedy political settlement of the internal Ukrainian crisis in general. The discussion also covered Russian-Italian cooperation. The parties agreed to remain in contact, specifically in view of Italy’s Presidency of the EU,’ reads a statement published by the Kremlin.