Baird says NATO considering Ukraine options as alliance cuts ties with Russia

BRUSSELS – Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says NATO’s decision today to end civilian and military co-operation with Russia is just one step in a long journey to resolving the Ukraine crisis.

Baird tells The Canadian Press from Brussels that NATO will consider a series of options to counter Russia’s unilateral annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.

The minister says capacity-building, tactical support and beefing up assets are all on the table.

Baird met behind closed doors today with his counterparts in the 28-member alliance, which is facing its most serious crisis in years.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the ministers agreed unanimously on a number of points, including possible redeployment of military assets in eastern NATO nations such as Poland and the Baltic states.

Baird visited Romania and Moldova prior to the NATO meeting and says the current crisis has implications for other countries in the region.