NATO’s Rasmussen says Russia must pull back troops

1
168

Russia must pull back its troops from the Ukrainian border as a first step to start dialogue over the crisis there, NATO General Secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Thursday.

Rasmussen said some 40,000 Russian troops were massed along Ukraine’s borders “not training but ready for combat.” He told a news conference during a visit to the Czech Republic, a NATO member, that any further military action by Russia would lead to grave consequences and severe economic sanctions.

Russia and the West are locked in a Cold War-style stand-off over Ukraine after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and a buildup of unrest in mostly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.

“From Prague, I have this message to Russia: You have a choice to stop blaming others for your own actions, to stop massing your troops, to stop escalating this crisis and start engaging in a genuine dialogue,” Rasmussen said.

“If Russia is serious about a dialogue, the first step should be to pull back its troops.” “We have seen the satellite images day after day. Russia is stirring up ethnic tensions in eastern Ukraine and provoking unrest. And Russia is using its military might to dictate that Ukraine should become a federal, neutral state. That is a decision which only Ukraine as a sovereign state can make.”

He said the alliance was not discussing military options, and the way forward was through diplomacy.

1 COMMENT

  1. We offer fresh cut bank instrument for lease/sale, such as BG, SBLC, MTN, Bank Bonds, Bank Draft, T strips and other. Leased Instruments can be obtained at minimal expense to the borrower compared to other banking options and we also discount/monetize BG's.
    This offer is open to both individuals and corporate bodies.
    If in need of our services, contact me for detail information.
    Thank you,
    Mr.Joe Duane
    email:[email protected]
    [email protected]

Comments are closed.