Nato Mulls Response To Russian Actions In Ukraine

The talks in Brussels will also focus on what action Nato member States should take in response

Relations between Nato and Moscow plummeted after Russia's annexation of the Crimea Peninsula in March

On Monday , Russia's envoy to the bloc threatened to end long standing co operation treaty with Nato

Asenior Nato official quoted by AFP news agency said defence ministers would be making "fundamental decisions" regarding Russia that would gooo before Nato leaders at a September summit in  the U.K.

Officials said there had been a "frank exchange of views" during a meeting of the Nato-Russia council , which groups ambassadors from 28 member States and Russia on Monday

Nato States repeated their very strong and clear position on the illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea  , alliance spokeswoman  Oana Lungescu said

They hailed the recent presidential election in Ukraine "as a clear vote for the unity of Ukraine  and called on Russia to engage constructively with their newly elected President " she added

Nato called on Russia "To respect it's international commitments , to stop the flow of arms and weapons across the border , to stop supporting armed separatists in Ukraine" she said

Russia's ambassador to Nato , Alexander Grushko , later told interfax news agency that Moscow might pull out of the Founding Act , a co operation treaty with Nato and take "measures of military character" we shall wait and see what the ministers decide" he said

But if it mean additional deployment of substantial Nato military assets in central and Eastern Europe , and we are hearing calls for just that , then even if it takes place as a troop rotation we will have difficulty viewing it as anything other than a direct breach of obligations in the fundamental Russia-Nato documents including the Founding Act" he added all this could cast Europe  back to the days of the Cold War and launch an arms race"

Kiev and the West have accused Russia of stirring up separatists  sentiment in parts of Eastern Ukraine where the majority are Russian speaking