The North Atlantic Council has agreed on further measures to respond to the Ukrainian crisis, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.
“We have just taken further measures to respond to the crisis in Ukraine,” Rasmussen said.
“Today, we agreed on a package of further military measures to
reinforce our collective defense and demonstrate the strength of allied
solidarity,” he said.
“We will have more planes in the air, more ships on the water, and more readiness on the land,” he said.
Noting that the NATO’s task is to protect its allies, he said that
the alliance has made a number of steps “for example, air policing
aircraft will fly more sorties over the Baltic region.”
“Allied ships will deploy to the Baltic Sea, the Eastern
Mediterranean and elsewhere, as required. Military staff from allied
nations will deploy to enhance our preparedness, training and
exercises,” Rasmussen continued.
“Our defense plans will be reviewed and reinforced. We will start to
implement these measures straight away. More will follow, if needed, in
the weeks and months to come,” he said.
“Our decisions today are about defense, deterrence and de-escalation.
They are entirely in line with our international commitments. They send
a clear message: NATO will protect every ally and defend against any
threat against our fundamental security,” Rasmussen said.
At the same time he advocated a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian
crisis. “We agree that a political solution is the only way forward,”
Rasmussen said. “NATO fully supports the Geneva talks and all the
efforts of the international community to find a political solution,
which fulfils the democratic aspirations of the entire Ukrainian people
and respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he
added.
“We call on Russia to be part of the solution. To stop destabilizing
Ukraine, pull back its troops from the borders and make clear it doesn’t
support the violent actions of well armed militias of pro-Russian
separatists,” Rasmussen said.
