NATO accuses Russia of escalating Ukraine conflict. (The success of the Alliance will depend on all Allies investing adequately in security and defence)

NATO has said that Russia, while calling for de-escalation of the Ukraine conflict, had in fact been escalating it.
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said the alliance was checking eyewitness reports that a column of at least 23 Russian military vehicles had crossed into Ukraine overnight.
A Reuters reporter at the scene saw a dozen armoured personnel carriers (APCs) on the move not far from a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine................http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0815/637230-ukraine-russia/
15/8/14
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Related:

• Russia masses military vehicles as aid convoy waits near Ukraine border

• La Russia non conferma la presenza di veicoli militari al confine ucraino

• Wales Summit to focus on readiness, Secretary General says in Denmark.

NATO Homepage,  15 Aug. 2014:

Next month’s NATO Summit in Wales will focus on the Alliance’s readiness to deal with the full range of threats, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on a visit to Copenhagen on Friday (15 August). ''We will adopt a Readiness Action Plan to make ourselves faster and more agile,'' he said.

At the Summit, Allied leaders are expected to adopt a number of measures aimed at increasing NATO’s ability to respond to sudden threats.

These will include adopting an action plan to improve Alliance readiness, strengthening cooperation with partners, and assisting states which ask for help to strengthen their defence institutions, the Secretary General said.
Mr Fogh Rasmussen praised Denmark for its contribution to the Alliance’s operations and missions.
“Denmark is always ready to contribute, through multinational cooperation to develop modern military capabilities, or operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Libya, fighting piracy or reinforcing our collective defence,” he said.

• He underlined that the success of the Alliance will depend on all Allies investing adequately in security and defence, especially given the new security climate created by Russia's illegal actions against Ukraine.

"Security is like insurance: to have the best insurance, you have to pay the premium. We are now facing a new security situation, and the premium has gone up," he said. 
http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_111946.htm
15/8/14
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Related:

• NATO Chief, (Anders Fogh Rasmussen), Accuses Russia of Stirring Up conflicts in Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine

• Serbia’s president points to world community’s duplicity over Ukraine. (“Serbia was bombed and rocketed (by NATO’s forces in 1999) for alleged excessive use of force")

• Russia Would React to NATO Build-up Near Borders (Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov)

• Russia to respond to NATO's growing activities near Russian borders(Valery Gerasimov)

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• Defence Ministers to focus on collective defence, Wales Summit

• Kerry urges NATO members to increase defense budget. -Not all allies are going to meet the NATO benchmark of 2% of GDP

• Fogh Rasmussen: Bulgaria stronger in Nato and Nato stronger with Bulgaria. -Bulgaria currently is using an ageing fleet of Soviet-made fighter aircraft.

• Obama urges NATO to increase defence spending. -"freedom isn't free"