NATO to convene over Russia-Ukraine tension

By Serife Cetin

BRUSSELS

A NATO-Ukraine body will convene Monday to address a fresh confrontation between Kiev and Moscow after Russia seized three Ukrainian navy vessels in the Sea of Azov, the alliance announced.

"At the request of [Ukrainian] President Poroshenko, the Secretary-General agreed to convene an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at Ambassadorial level in Brussels this afternoon to discuss the current situation," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.

Stoltenberg and the Ukrainian president discussed earlier on Monday the incident in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, said the statement.

"The Secretary-General expressed NATO’s full support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, including its full navigational rights in its territorial waters under international law," the statement added.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to UN, said in post on Sunday that an emergency Security Council meeting has been called for Monday.

The move came after Russia seized three Ukrainian navy ships off Crimea in the Sea of Azov after firing of the ships and ramming another.

Russia said the vessels ignored calls to stop at the border.

Ukraine said six of its sailors, two of them seriously, were wounded in the Russian fire.