- Title: Russia's attempts to destabilise Ukraine must end - NATO's Stoltenberg
- Date: 10th July 2017
- Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (JULY 10, 2017) (REUTERS) UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT SESSION IN PROGRESS, PARLIAMENT MEMBERS APPLAUDING AND STANDING UP/ NATO SECRETARY GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG GREETING AUDIENCE STOLTENBERG WALKING TOWARDS PODIUM UKRAINE'S COAT OF ARMS (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL, JENS STOLTENBERG, SAYING: "Russia, and you know this better than anyone else, is trying to destabilise Ukraine through its support of the militants in the east, its cyber-attacks, desinformation and not least by the presence of Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. This must end. Europe and North America are united in the condemnation of Russia's actions and in the continued support for economic sanctions. Russia must withdraw its forces and military equipment from Ukraine's internationally recognised and sovereign territory." SCREEN SHOWING UKRAINIAN AND NATO FLAGS STOLTENBERG LEAVING TRIBUNE/ PARLIAMENT MEMBERS APPLAUDING
- Embargoed: 24th July 2017 17:09
- Keywords: Ukraine NATO Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Russia
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- City: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Russia
- Topics: NATO,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016P4VO7B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: NATO Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg addressed the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev on Monday (July 10) and demanded withdrawal of Russian troops "from Ukraine's internationally recognised and sovereign territory".
He said the Kremlin was trying "to destabilize Ukraine through its support of the militants in the east, its cyber-attacks, disinformation and not least by the presence of Russian forces in eastern Ukraine". He reiterated Europe and North America's "support for economic sanctions" against Russia.
Earlier in the day Stoltenberg met Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko.
Ukraine will begin discussions with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on an action plan to get it into the U.S.-led alliance, its leader said on Monday (July 10), while the country would work on reforms to meet membership standards by 2020.
Poroshenko, whose country is fighting a Kremlin-backed insurgency in eastern Ukraine, revived the prospect of NATO membership during a visit by Stoltenberg who himself used the occasion to call on Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
NATO leaders agreed at a summit in 2008 that Ukraine would one day become a member of the alliance. But there was little popular support for the issue at the time and it was never pursued by Ukraine's pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovich.
Support for NATO membership however has soared since Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014, following the fall of Yanukovich, and the outbreak of the war in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 10,000 people.
Most observers say any prospect of NATO membership for Ukraine is years off. No dates were issued for when talks on a membership action plan might begin.
A NATO spokeswoman said these would relate to defense, anti-corruption measures, governance and law enforcement. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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