Foreign Minister of Britain: NATO will protect the Baltic States with the threat from Russia
Denis Voroshilov. NATO will ensure the security of the Baltic region in the case of an invasion or danger from the Russian Federation, said the British foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.
"We are not going to fight with the Russians in Ukraine and We no doubt about it said. But in the case of an invasion in the Baltic countries this will mean that the provisions of the NATO Charter (article 5, talking about collective security), have the opportunity to be involved, " he said in an interview, without explaining whether he has in mind combat operations.
Answering the question about not changed if the British decision not to supply weapons to the Ukraine, Hammond stated that this issue be placed on permanent control of the government and its solution depends on the specific situation.
The Minister also said that the UK has not changed position in relation to Russia, which the West believes a participant in the conflict in Ukraine, and continues to advocate for tougher pressure on Moscow.
"the attack on the Mariupol obliged to follow the increased pressure. But this does not mean a " new cold war ". We are confident that the countries freed from the influence of Russia, in the condition on their own to choose their own path of development. But the President (Vladimir) Putin his views, he wishes that they were in his sphere of influence, " said Hammond.
along with this, the Minister acknowledged that in recent years the situation in the conflict region in Ukraine has changed for the better.
"The level of violence in Ukraine is decreasing, But there are no signs that the strategy of centuries Putin has changed. Now the question is, what tools to use to achieve this. Further aggression will lead to fresh penalties, " said the Minister.
The Ukrainian authorities began in April last year in the Donbass military operation Against dissatisfied with the coup d'etat in the region. According to the summary data of the United Nations, victims of the conflict began more than 6 thousand people.
Against Russia, the West has imposed a series of sanctions, because the Ukrainian Authorities, as well as the USA and the EU many times accused Moscow of interfering in Ukraine. Russia denies it and calls the accusations are unacceptable. Moscow has repeatedly said that is not a party to domestic conflict and uninvolved in the events in the South-East, is interested in Ukraine overcame political and economic crisis.
The resolution of the Ukrainian fall under negotiation in different formats, for example, during meetings of the contact group in Minsk with the mediation of the Russian Federation and the OSCE. The next meeting of the contact group on 12 February ended with the adoption of a package of measures on execution of the Minsk agreements, involving, for example, a cease-fire in the Donbass with fifteen February, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the development of a security zone.