Following Russia's invasion of Crimea, NATO officials announced on Tuesday that it was suspending all military and civilian cooperation with Russia over the Ukrainian crisis, severing ties with a nation that it has been treating like a partner since 1997.
The member states of NATO met to discuss the annexation of Crimea along with what measures to take in response to Russia and its troops—estimated to number between 35,000 to 40,000—that have been stationed along the border of Ukraine. NATO will keep the bilateral council that has been functioning since 2002, with bimonthly reunions including the presence of the Russian ambassador, at the headquarters in Brussels, but in the practical sense that cooperation now lacks a physical base
NATO also announced that it was strengthening its cooperation with Ukraine, promoting defense reforms in the country to help Ukraine provide for its own security. As Ukraine is not a member of the Alliance, this support will be shown through joint exercises, along with training and military reforms. In fact, the alliance has established plans to help the defenses in Eastern Europe to show Russia that it will protect its allies against further Russian aggression.
The international community is increasingly worried about what may happen next; chiefly regarding the fact that it does not seem Russia has any intention on loosening its grip. Former Soviet satellite nations are fairly worried that if the international arena lets the Kremlin get away with this, they could be next. On Monday Putin had told Angela Merkel that he had ordered a partial withdrawal of the troops present along the border, but it seems like the unit was then replaced and the intentions therefore useless.
Among the many repercussions that this decision will have on international affairs, currently Russia and NATO are collaborating in Afghanistan, leaving the future of operations there up in the air
However, despite the tension and the severity of the situation, Secretary-General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated that, through the work of ambassadors, the alliance is keeping its doors open for political dialogue. Rasmussen also added that, as president of the alliance, it is his duty to defend the principles on which the bloc is based, urging Russia to comply with international law standards.
Under these standards, Russia's annexation of Crimea would be considered illegal. On the topic of the alliance's fortified support to Ukraine, Rasmussen commented that "it is up to the Ukrainians to decide their future relation with NATO", hinting towards the possibility that Ukraine could become part of the Atlantic Alliance. This topic had previously come up in 2008, but at the time Ukraine did not meet the requirements necessary to become part of the bloc.
As NATO tries to wield a bigger carrot and stick toward Russia and make a clear statement that allies of the bloc should not be threatened lightly, the Ukrainian Parliament has approved a legal reform that allows its army to cooperate with NATO and EU countries.
Now we must wait and see if this decision will have any effect on Russia's policies in Ukraine, or if Putin will choose to ignore it.
a global affairs media network
Video Wednesday: NATO severs ties with Russia over Crimea situation
April 2, 2014
Following Russia's invasion of Crimea, NATO officials announced on Tuesday that it was suspending all military and civilian cooperation with Russia over the Ukrainian crisis, severing ties with a nation that it has been treating like a partner since 1997.
The member states of NATO met to discuss the annexation of Crimea along with what measures to take in response to Russia and its troops—estimated to number between 35,000 to 40,000—that have been stationed along the border of Ukraine. NATO will keep the bilateral council that has been functioning since 2002, with bimonthly reunions including the presence of the Russian ambassador, at the headquarters in Brussels, but in the practical sense that cooperation now lacks a physical base
NATO also announced that it was strengthening its cooperation with Ukraine, promoting defense reforms in the country to help Ukraine provide for its own security. As Ukraine is not a member of the Alliance, this support will be shown through joint exercises, along with training and military reforms. In fact, the alliance has established plans to help the defenses in Eastern Europe to show Russia that it will protect its allies against further Russian aggression.
The international community is increasingly worried about what may happen next; chiefly regarding the fact that it does not seem Russia has any intention on loosening its grip. Former Soviet satellite nations are fairly worried that if the international arena lets the Kremlin get away with this, they could be next. On Monday Putin had told Angela Merkel that he had ordered a partial withdrawal of the troops present along the border, but it seems like the unit was then replaced and the intentions therefore useless.
Among the many repercussions that this decision will have on international affairs, currently Russia and NATO are collaborating in Afghanistan, leaving the future of operations there up in the air
However, despite the tension and the severity of the situation, Secretary-General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated that, through the work of ambassadors, the alliance is keeping its doors open for political dialogue. Rasmussen also added that, as president of the alliance, it is his duty to defend the principles on which the bloc is based, urging Russia to comply with international law standards.
Under these standards, Russia's annexation of Crimea would be considered illegal. On the topic of the alliance's fortified support to Ukraine, Rasmussen commented that "it is up to the Ukrainians to decide their future relation with NATO", hinting towards the possibility that Ukraine could become part of the Atlantic Alliance. This topic had previously come up in 2008, but at the time Ukraine did not meet the requirements necessary to become part of the bloc.
As NATO tries to wield a bigger carrot and stick toward Russia and make a clear statement that allies of the bloc should not be threatened lightly, the Ukrainian Parliament has approved a legal reform that allows its army to cooperate with NATO and EU countries.
Now we must wait and see if this decision will have any effect on Russia's policies in Ukraine, or if Putin will choose to ignore it.
