NATO pledges funds to Ukraine

CARDIFF, Wales – The U.S. and its European allies plan another round of sanctions against Russia if President Vladimir Putin doesn’t withdraw thousands of troops from Ukraine.

The threat of additional economic punishments came as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met Thursday with NATO leaders here to discuss the alliance’s response to Russian incursions.

NATO member nations pledged 15 million euros – about $19 million – to boost Ukraine’s security, and U.S. officials said they expected more announcements today on NATO plans for new bases in Eastern Europe to provide a speedier response to Russian aggression.

Representatives of Kiev, Moscow and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe are scheduled to meet today in Minsk to discuss a potential cease-fire offered by Putin.

NATO leaders were skeptical about the outcome. “While talking about peace, Russia has not made one single step to make peace possible,” said NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

McClatchy-Tribune