NATO's North Atlantic Council Condemns Russia's Military in Crimea, Ukraine

The North Atlantic Council, NATO’s key governing organization, met Sunday to discuss the NATO-Ukraine Commission and released its official statement on Ukraine.

The North Atlantic Council condemns the Russian Federation’s military escalation in Crimea and expresses its grave concern regarding the authorisation by the Russian Parliament to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine.

Military action against Ukraine by forces of the Russian Federation is a breach of international law and contravenes the principles of the NATO-Russia Council and the Partnership for Peace. Russia must respect its obligations under the United Nations Charter and the spirit and principles of the OSCE, on which peace and stability in Europe rest. We call on Russia to de-escalate tensions.

After Russia sent more troops to Crimea, Ukraine asked NATO and the West to help secure its borders. Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine but took steps to break away from the larger country after Parliament ousted president Viktor Yanukovich. In fact, the new Crimean leader asked Russia President Vladimir Putin for more troops. 

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Sergei Deshchiritsya spoke to the USA, European Union, and NATO:

A request had been made to NATO to “look at using all possibilities for protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, the Ukrainian people and nuclear facilities on Ukrainian territory,” he said.

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with foreign and defense ministers in Warsaw and voiced his support for Ukraine:

“The international community must exert the strongest pressure on Russia,” Donald Tusk said after meeting with foreign and defense ministers in Warsaw on the rapidly deteriorating situation in Ukraine.

“We must give a very clear signal that Europe and the world will not tolerate acts of aggression or intervention,” Tusk said, adding that, “it’s time the people of Ukraine were shown who their true friends are”.

Poland is a member of NATO, and PZ News Feed tweeted there are reports of the country’s moving troops to its shared border with Ukraine. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Poland’s largest opposition party, said the president and government should do what they can to secure Poland’s borders.