ALJAZEERA: NATO announced a suspension of “all practical civilian and military cooperation” with Russia on Tuesday, condemning the country’s “illegal” intervention in Ukraine as Moscow turned the financial screws on Kiev by hiking the cost of gas.
In a strongly worded statement, NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels said the Russian takeover of Crimea represented a “violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The military alliance also announced plans to bolster ties with other former Soviet states in eastern Europe.
The move came just hours after Russia sharply increased the price of natural gas to Ukraine, threatening to reclaim billions of dollars in previous discounts and raising the heat on Kiev’s cash-strapped government… (more)
