NATO chief urges West to keep pressure on Russia

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg prepares to address a news conference yesterday at the organization’s headquarters in Brussels

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is urging Western allies to maintain diplomatic pressure and sanctions on Russia until it respects the peace agreement in Ukraine.

After talks with NATO and Ukraine foreign ministers, Stoltenberg told reporters yesterday of a “massive increase in cease-fire violations” in the conflict-torn east of the former Soviet republic. He said hundreds of explosions are sometimes reported daily, including many caused by heavy weapons banned under the Minsk peace accords.

“The international community must keep pressuring Russia to respect its obligations, especially while the security situation in eastern Ukraine remains so serious,” Stoltenberg said. “It’s important that economic sanctions be maintained.”

More than 9,600 people have been killed since April 2014 in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-
backed separatists are fighting Ukrainian government troops. Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for the lack of progress in settling the conflict.

The Minsk peace deal envisaged that Ukraine regains control of the rebellious region’s border with Russia after granting the area a special status, holding local elections and offering amnesty to the rebels.

The European Union has imposed sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine conflict. Some of the measures are due to be extended in January but cracks have appeared in EU unity, and some countries with strong energy and business links to Russia want to see the sanctions eased.

NATO’s ties with Russia have been under heavy strain since Russian forces annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, and Stoltenberg said the seizure will not be recognized. MDT/AP