Russia is threatening peace in Europe with its military actions in Ukraine and must immediately de-escalate tensions, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Sunday.
"What Russia is doing now in Ukraine violates the principles of the United Nations charter,” Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels. “It threatens peace and security in Europe.”
His comments were echoed by former Swedish prime minister, Carl Bildt, who drew comparisons to the disputes that escalated into the start of World War One in 1914.
“On the centenary of 1914, we are suddenly in a Europe of invasion, aggression and threats of massive use of military force,” he wrote on Twitter. “When Russian forces demands that Ukraine forces in Crimea surrender weapons it's clearly a military occupation that is taking place.”
