NATO would 'fully respect' Ukraine application

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, said on Friday he would "fully respect" any potential decision by Ukraine to try to join NATO.



Mr Rasmussen, speaking after an emergency meeting between NATO and Ukraine's ambassador to the alliance, said that "each and every nation has a right to decide for itself" on which alliances it seeks, and he called on Russia to show similar respect.



However, the proposal by Ukraine's government that the country repeal a law banning membership in military blocs and move toward NATO membership wasn't discussed at the meeting, Mr Rasmussen said.



Any formal application from Ukraine to join the alliance would take years at least. Ukrainian leaders have said for months that seeking to join NATO, a move seen likely to provoke Moscow, wasn't a top priority. But the recent reported incursion of more than 1,000 Russian troops into Ukraine apparently prompted the government to change course.



"I'm not going to interfere with a political discussion in Ukraine," Mr Rasmussen said.