Nato decides to 'intensify partnership with Ukraine'

The head of Nato says it is responding to Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine by suspending most of the military alliance’s meetings with Russia and "intensify our partnership with Ukraine".

Nato secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that ambassadors for Nato’s 28 member states decided after a meeting with their Russian counterpart to suspend plans for a joint mission as well as all civilian and military meetings.

Rasmussen said because of Russia’s military action in Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula “the entire range of Nato-Russia cooperation (is) under review.”

Rasmussen said the alliance will continue to meet with Moscow at the political level but insisted that halting all other cooperation “sends a very clear message to Russia”.

He also said Nato decided “to intensify our partnership with Ukraine”.

Russian warships had been due to escort a US cargo ship carrying Syrian chemical weapons destined for destruction.

“Let me stress this will not affect the destruction of chemical weapons but Russia will not be involved in the escort of the US vessel,” he said .

“We have also decided that no staff level civilian or military meetings with Russia will take place for now.

“We have put the entire range of Nato-Russia co-operation under review. Nato foreign ministers will take decisions on this in early April.”