The Deputy Secretary General of NATO Alexander Vershbow took a part in a video conference during the annual Kyiv Security Forum, discussed with government officials, representatives of international organizations and opinion formers current security issues related to the Black Sea region and Europe.
Alexander Vershbow pointed that the Russian Federation hadn’t kept its promises to withdraw its troops from the illegally occupied territories from 90’s:
“Russian aggression is only one component of t destabilization line that Russia demonstrates today in violation of the obligations it has undertaken in the early 90’s. Let us recollect the events in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia has troops in Moldova as well, though it promised to withdraw them from there in 1999,” – said the Deputy Secretary General of NATO.
“It does everything possible to prevent its neighbors from following their own way. This is relevant in case of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. They believe that these countries should belong to the privileged zone of influence of Russia,” – he added.
The Deputy Secretary General also recalled that Russia supported Russian-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine and added that NATO would never recognize the illegal annexation of the Crimea by the Russian Federation:
“By supporting separatists with armaments, including heavy weapons, its military units, training them, Russia wants to bring the war to the territory of Ukraine,” – said Alexander Vershbow
“Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea marked the first time since the Second World War that one European nation took part of another by force. In doing so, Russia has undermined decades of work by the international community to create a Europe that is whole, free and at peace. NATO will never accept or recognize the annexation of Crimea. The full implementation of the Minsk agreements represents the best hope for peace, and I urge all parties to do everything in their power to meet their commitments,” underlined the Deputy Secretary General of NATO Alexander Vershbow.
