2014-08-29 18:38:00

Ukraine seeks NATO membership amid Russian incursion


(Vatican Radio) Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk says he wants his nation to join the NATO military alliance amid Western accusations that Russian troops have entered eastern Ukraine in large number, backed by heavy weapons and tanks. Yatsenyuk's comments came while the European Union prepared tougher sanctions against Russia at a meeting in Italy. 

Listen to the report by Stefan Bos:

Yatsenyuk said Friday he would ask Parliament to change the nation's non-aligned status laid out in its constitution and introduce a bill that would enable his country's membership of the NATO military alliance. 

His call came after Kiev claimed tanks and armored vehicles had invaded from Russia to support pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. 

NATO said at least 1,000 fresh Russian troops had entered eastern Ukraine. Referring to satellite images, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters that Russian combat troops are active in the former Soviet nation. 

RUSSIAN HARDWARE 

“Russia continues to supply the separatist with tanks armoured vehicles, artillery and rocket launchers,” he said. “Russia has fired on Ukraine from both Russian territory and within Ukraine itself.”      

His comments came while reporters saw pro-Russian forces appearing relaxed and well-equipped as the held firm control over the strategic town of Novoazovsk where they opened a new front.

Though not calling it an invasion, Moscow no longer denies Russian citizens are active in Ukraine. A separatist leader said as many as 4,000 Russians, including professional soldiers, have been supporting the rebels. 

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday Kiev was to blame for the escalating crisis. 

NAZI SIEGE

He compared operations of Ukrainian government troops in eastern Ukraine region with the Nazi siege of Leningrad during World War Two. 

“Unfortunately, it reminds me of the events of World War Two, when German fascist occupiers surrounded our cities, for example Leningrad, and they executed the population of the villages,” Putin added.  

The West disagrees and in Milan several European Union Foreign Ministers said Friday that Russia should be punished for what they called an invasion of Ukraine. 

They were set to propose new sanctions against Russia for consideration at a summit of the block’s 28 heads of states on Saturday in Brussels, where Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was also to meet several EU leaders.           

 








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