Nato warns Russia against further intervention

NATO warns Russia against further intervention
APRIL 8, 2014 BY BBC Leave a Comment   

  NATO has warned Russia that further intervention in Ukraine would be a “historic mistake” with grave consequences.
Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Moscow must pull back troops it has massed on the Ukrainian border.
On Tuesday, Ukraine regained control of one of the government buildings occupied by pro-Russian activists in the east of the country.
Moscow has said that using force to end the protests could lead to civil war. However, in Luhansk, officials said “radicals” occupying the state security building had placed explosives and were holding about 60 people against their will.
Kiev says the unrest in the east is being fomented by Russia following its annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
Russia took control in Crimea – where Russian-speakers are in a majority – after a disputed referendum.
“I urge Russia to step back and not escalate the situation in east Ukraine,” Rasmussen said in Paris where he was attending a seminar on NATO reforms. “If Russia were to intervene further in Ukraine, it would be an historic mistake.
It would have grave consequences for our relationship with Russia and it would further isolate Russia internationally.
” The US and the EU have already imposed targeted sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian individuals over the annexation of Crimea.
Rasmussen added: “We call on Russia to pull back the tens of thousands of troops it has massed on Ukraine’s borders, engage in a genuine dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities and respect its international commitments.”