Russia meddling in Ukraine historic mistake: NATO

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has warned that it would be a “historic mistake” for Russia to intervene further in eastern Ukraine.

The NATO chief told a news conference on a visit to Paris Tuesday that Russia’s approach toward Ukraine would have grave consequences for its relationship with NATO and would isolate the country internationally.

Rasmussen further urged Moscow to step back and not to escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine.

“It is obvious that the evolving security situation in Ukraine and along its borders make it necessary to review our defense plans and look at how we could strengthen our collective defense,” Rasmussen said referring to a possible military response.

The warning comes after pro-Russia activists briefly occupied government buildings in several Ukrainian cities on Monday.

The protesters in Kharkiv declared independence from Kiev following a similar move by pro-Russians in Ukraine’s eastern city of Donetsk earlier on the day.

Pro-Russia activists also announced the formation of the Independent People’s Republic in both cities.

The demonstrations gained momentum after Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16, in which nearly 97 percent of the voters said yes to union with Russia.

On March 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law documents that officially made Crimea part of Russian territory, a move that sparked angry reactions from the US and the EU, both imposing sanctions against a number of Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean officials.