BRUSSELS
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called Ukraine "the most important security issue in Europe," as the country goes through a political transition.
Former President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted on Saturday.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, NATO Defence Ministers promised to support Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and are set to discuss developments in Ukraine at a committee meeting on Thursday.
Rasmussen's remarks on Wednesday are seen as a message to Russia, which has expressed concern over the political situation in Ukraine. Russia has a sizable military presence in the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which plans to debate its allegiances after being hit by a wave of protests since last weekend.
Crimean Parliament Speaker Vladimir Konstantinov said that the peninsula's future, as a part of Ukraine, would be broached in a parliamentary meeting on Wednesday, which was cancelled earlier in the day.
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