Russia Breaks Off NATO Ties
Source: Alalam.ir, 21-8-2008
BRUSSELS--Russia informed NATO Thursday that it is halting military cooperation, an Alliance spokeswoman said.
Spokeswoman Carmen Romero said from the NATO headquarters in Brussels: "We have received the notification from the Russians through military channels and they say that they have decided to halt international military cooperation events between Russia and NATO countries until further instruction."
"We take note of the Russian decision," she added.
The US said it was "unfortunate" that Russia was halting military cooperation with NATO.
The NATO spokeswoman recalled that NATO Secretary General Jaap de hoop Scheffer had already said that it "cannot be business as usual with Russia" as long as Moscow keeps its troops in Georgia.
Scheffer told reporters after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers Tuesday that NATO-Russia Council meetings would be placed on hold until Russia adheres to the terms an agreed ceasefire deal with Georgia requiring both sides to move troops back to their positions before Georgia launched an offensive on the separatist region of South Ossetia.
"We... cannot continue with business as usual... as long as Russia does not commit to the principles upon which we agreed to base our relationship," he said then.
The Russian navy has already announced it was cancelling its participation in naval maneuvers planned in the Baltic Sea as part of its partnership with NATO, and said it was currently "not considered possible" to host the US naval frigate Ford.
Georgia on August 8 launched a military offensive against pro-Russian breakaway South Ossetia -- which unilaterally declared its independence after the fall of the Soviet Union -- in order to regain control.
The Georgian operation failed after Moscow intervened, sending troops, tanks and warplanes into South Ossetia to defend Russian citizens in the breakaway republic.
BRUSSELS--Russia informed NATO Thursday that it is halting military cooperation, an Alliance spokeswoman said.
Spokeswoman Carmen Romero said from the NATO headquarters in Brussels: "We have received the notification from the Russians through military channels and they say that they have decided to halt international military cooperation events between Russia and NATO countries until further instruction."
"We take note of the Russian decision," she added.
The US said it was "unfortunate" that Russia was halting military cooperation with NATO.
The NATO spokeswoman recalled that NATO Secretary General Jaap de hoop Scheffer had already said that it "cannot be business as usual with Russia" as long as Moscow keeps its troops in Georgia.
Scheffer told reporters after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers Tuesday that NATO-Russia Council meetings would be placed on hold until Russia adheres to the terms an agreed ceasefire deal with Georgia requiring both sides to move troops back to their positions before Georgia launched an offensive on the separatist region of South Ossetia.
"We... cannot continue with business as usual... as long as Russia does not commit to the principles upon which we agreed to base our relationship," he said then.
The Russian navy has already announced it was cancelling its participation in naval maneuvers planned in the Baltic Sea as part of its partnership with NATO, and said it was currently "not considered possible" to host the US naval frigate Ford.
Georgia on August 8 launched a military offensive against pro-Russian breakaway South Ossetia -- which unilaterally declared its independence after the fall of the Soviet Union -- in order to regain control.
The Georgian operation failed after Moscow intervened, sending troops, tanks and warplanes into South Ossetia to defend Russian citizens in the breakaway republic.
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