(4 Dec 2018) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY
++QUALITY AS INCOMING++
NATO TV – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Brussels – 4 December 2018
1. Various of arrival of the Secretary-General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO:
“We will address Russia’s destabilising behaviour. We recently saw how Russia used military force against Ukrainian vessels and arrested the ships and the sailors. And we call on Russia to immediately release the ships and the sailors. We are also concerned about the new Russian missile system, which puts the INF (Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces) treaty in jeopardy. It is urgent that Russia ensures full compliance in a transparent and verifiable way, because the INF treaty is so important for our security.”
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO: ++STARTS ON SHORT SIDE SHOT OF STOLTENBERG SPEAKING TO MEDIA++
“All allies of NATO provide a strong political support and strong practical support to Ukraine. Ukraine is not a NATO member, but we strongly support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We also call on Russia to release the sailors and the ships they have detained or seized. And NATO allies will also continue to help to modernise and strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces. NATO is also helping with different trust funds on cyber, on command and control and we also help to modernise the Ukrainian navy.”
4. Stoltenberg talking to media
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO:
“Because of the aggressive actions of Russia against Ukraine, illegally annexing Crimea, destabilising eastern Ukraine, and now we’re also seeing what they tried to do in the Sea of Azov, NATO has implemented the biggest reinforcement of collective defence since the end of the Cold War, with the high readiness of forces, with combat groups or battalions in the eastern part of the alliance, and allies are also now investing more in defence so NATO allies are strengthening our collective defence as a direct response to what we have seen Russia has done against Ukraine.”
6. Stoltenberg talking to media
STORYLINE:
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated his call for Russia to comply with a Cold War-era missile treaty on Tuesday, as the U.S. readies to pull out of the pact.
He spoke ahead of a meeting of allied foreign ministers in Brussels, where this topic was expected to be high on the agenda.
Washington says Russia’s new 9M729 missile system contravenes the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
The pact between Russia and the U.S. bans all land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometres (310-3,410 miles).
The recent standoff between Ukraine and Russia in the Sea of Azov will also be discussed at the meeting and Stoltenberg called on Moscow “to immediately release the (Ukrainian) sailors and ships.”
Stoltenberg went on to stress that all NATO allies provide “a strong political support and a strong practical support to Ukraine.”
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated last week when Russian border guards fired on three Ukrainian navy vessels near the Russia-annexed Crimea peninsula.
The vessels and their crews were captured.
NATO foreign ministers are meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin on Tuesday as the country seeks international backing following this incident.
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