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This op-ed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been published by El Pais and La Repubblica, part of the Leading European Newspaper Alliance (LENA).

In view of Russia’s use of military force against Ukraine near the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, ‎NATO Allies call on Russia to ensure unhindered access to Ukrainian ports and allow freedom of navigation.

The NATO Secretary General and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke this morning about developments in the Azov Sea and Kerch Strait, including yesterday’s events involving Russian and Ukrainian naval vessels.

In a speech hosted by the German Atlantic Society and the Federal Academy for Security Policy in Berlin on Monday (12 November 2018), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg underscored the importance of the transatlantic bond at a time of unprecedented security challenges. In particular, Mr Stoltenberg warned that the deployment of new Russian SSC-8 missiles puts the historic INF treaty at jeopardy, calling on Russia to ensure full compliance with the treaty.

NATO does not recognise the reported elections held on 11 November in the self-proclaimed and unrecognised “Luhansk People’s Republic” and “Donetsk People’s Republic.” They run contrary to the letter and spirit of the Minsk Agreements and undermine efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

The NATO-Russia Council, which brings together the 29 Allies and Russia, met in Brussels on Wednesday (31 October 2018). Ambassadors had an open exchange on several topics, including the situation in and around Ukraine; issues related to military activities, reciprocal transparency and risk reduction; Afghanistan; and hybrid challenges.

Ambassadors in NATO’s North Atlantic Council met on Thursday (25 October 2018) to discuss the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, with the participation of senior officials from the US. Allies have repeatedly expressed concerns about the new Russian missile system, called the 9M729, or SSC-8. Today’s meeting was an opportunity for Allies to share views on the INF Treaty, and to assess the implications of Russia’s destabilising behaviour on our security. The United States has engaged Allies regularly on the state of the INF Treaty since 2014, when the US first declared Russia in violation. NATO Allies will continue to consult on this important issue.

The Netherlands briefed NATO Defence Ministers today on the targeting of the offices of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague by a hostile cyber operation. The operation was carried out by the GRU, the Russian military intelligence service, but was disrupted by Dutch intelligence services in partnership with the UK. Moreover, the UK has identified the GRU as being behind a number of other cyber-attacks around the world. These have affected citizens in many countries, including Russia, and caused enormous economic costs.

On Wednesday (5 September 2018) UK National Security Adviser Sir Mark Sedwill updated NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the North Atlantic Council on the actions taken by the United Kingdom in response to the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Sir Mark noted that there is sufficient evidence for charges to be brought against two Russian nationals for the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The Council expressed solidarity with the UK.