AKIPRESS.COM - NATO has decided to review the entire range of its cooperation with Russia over Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a press conference after a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in Brussels on March 5.

“We have also decided that no staff-level civilian or military meetings with Russia will take place for now. NATO Foreign Ministers will take decisions on this in early April,” Intefax-Ukraine cited the Secretary General.

NATO also suspended the planning of the first joint operation with Russia (maritime escort for the U.S. ship Cape Ray), which will neutralize Syria's chemical weapons.

This will not affect the destruction of chemical weapons, Anders Fogh Rasmussen stressed. However, Russia will not be involved in the escort of the US vessel. Still, the Alliance wants to keep the door open for political dialogue and is ready to maintain meetings of ambassadors in the NATO-Russia Council.

“At the same time, we have decided to intensify our partnership with Ukraine, and strengthen our cooperation to support democratic reforms," the Secretary General added.

The NATO Secretary General is expected to meet with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk on March 6.