“Deploying a rapid reaction force in Eastern Europe is more than just another piece of provocation between NATO and Russia, it is a highly dangerous step,”  said GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer speaking about the NATO summit in Wales this week. “NATO is not the answer to the problems and conflicts in Eastern Europe.”

“The spiral of escalation in the Ukraine conflict needs to be broken in order to make a political solution possible. But NATO is not a specialist in de-escalation and restraint, as was clearly seen in the aggressive words of outgoing Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who yesterday directly accused Russia of attacking Ukraine.”

 

Ms Zimmer said: “We call on all parties at the peace talks of the Contact group for Ukraine taking place in Minsk this afternoon to do all in their power to reach an immediate ceasefire and an effective political solution. Diplomatic and political support of these discussions is better way to peace than threatening and imposing even further sanctions which affect ordinary European and Russian people without contributing to a solution of the conflict. “

 

An estimated 2,600 people have died in this conflict, which has forced over one million people out of their homes, according to the United Nations.