Russia Caucasus Ukraine

We will not die for Crimea!

The NATO entrance hall at 13 p.m. this Sunday. The ambassadors have been in session for a few minutes (© NGV / B2)
The NATO entrance hall at 13 p.m. this Sunday. The ambassadors have been in session for a few minutes (© NGV / B2)

(BRUSSELS2) The exceptional meeting of NATO ambassadors - convened by the NATO Secretary General - which started this Sunday. The objective is to test the unity of the Allies on this file and to determine the whole possible attitude vis-à-vis Moscow.

A "threat to peace in Europe"

A. F Rassmusen had some pretty harsh words at the entrance to the meeting accusing Russia of violate the territorial integrity from Ukraine. That " violates the principles of the United Nations Charter. And that poses a threat to peace and security in Europe.”. " Russia must stop its military activities and threats ". Beyond words, will NATO be able to go further?

Die for Sevastopol? ....

We can doubt it. Last Thursday, the meeting of Alliance Defense Ministers gave birth to a very weak declaration, while the "sounds of boots" began to echo in the distance. As one officer summed it up at B2 “ Whether Europeans are ready to die for Ukraine and Crimea, I doubt it”. The Alliance does not seem ready for measures that could lead to a military escalation...

What steps to take

The strongest measure could be to suspend the meeting of the NATO-Russia committee. But this measure is considered by some diplomats as counterproductive. This enclosure would, on the contrary, be useful for maintaining the dialogue necessary with Moscow, we stress to the Alliance. Another possible measure could be to invoke Article 4 and "formal" consultations between allies when the security of a member state is threatened. But this possibility seems rejected by several countries, and not the least.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

One thought on “We will not die for Crimea!"

  • Paul Kellens

    I think that Europe the USA are a little hypocritical….. namely that NATO the USA have intervened in countries with regard to certain riches, oil, gas, rare minerals etc…., and this with a view to control the extraction and distribution whether in the Middle East, Near East and Africa…., no solution has been found except for civil war like Afghanistan, Iraq etc…. a well-organized destabilization, I I am not pro Islamic or pro Arab but there is something to ask questions! When an intervention of Russia, let's see how the USA would react if a part of Alaska would ask for its autonomy for Russia.....? to meditate ….and when we talk about interference by France, certain European countries, the USA in sovereign countries….?

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