NATO won't meet half-way with Russia until it stops violate fundamental principles of the international security, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
“International rules must be respected – not rewritten. And certainly not violated. We will not compromise on these principles. We will stay united and steadfast. And we will continue to work for the day when Russia recognizes that there is no future in confrontation,” he stressed.
Stoltenberg believes Russia must blame itself of crisis appeared in the east of Ukraine, which also led to world isolation in Russia.
“But Russia has isolated itself by its own actions and its own choices. Russia bears the responsibility for the dangerous situation in which we find ourselves. Nobody forced Russia to annex Crimea. And nobody is forcing Russia to destabilize Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.
He again and again urged Russia to o change course and to treat its neighbors as sovereign states, as well as to come back into compliance with the commitments it has made.
Moreover, the secretary general welcomed the efforts of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande meant to de-escalate the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
“NATO fully supports the broad efforts to find a political solution. This issue is urgent and critical,” he underlined.
Stoltenberg added that there is no contradiction between NATO defense and dialogue.
“A strong NATO is essential if we are to engage Russia with confidence. A constructive NATO-Russia relationship would benefit the Euro-Atlantic community,” he said.
