Russia responsible for war in Ukraine, says NATO

Russia is responsible for this war, a blatant violation of international law and the principles of the UN Charter. Russia has deprived millions of Ukrainians of basic human services because of its persistent and unconscionable attacks on Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure. It has a negative impact on global food supplies and endangered the world's most vulnerable countries and peoples. Russia sabotages, including hybrid activities, energy blackmail and reckless nuclear rhetoric, undermine the rules-based international order, reads a statement by the NATO Foreign MinistersNATO Foreign Ministers from their meeting in Bucharest.

NATO is not a party to the war. For as long as it takes, we will continue to support Ukraine. After the first meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Bucharest, Jens Stoltenberg said NATO will not back down, and said that NATO pledges additional assistance, funding urgent non-lethal support, including fuel and generators.

In his part, Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, stated that Russia had turned parts of the Black Sea into a war zone. He said that we are going to strengthen NATO presence from the Black Sea to the Baltic Seas.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated for Radio Kommersant that what is happening in Ukraine and that it has affected Russia's decision to not participate in the US Strategic Arms Treaty START Russia has lost Europe as its largest energy client forever, according to a statement by the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol at an energy conference on Tuesday. Fatih Birol told the International Energy Agency that Russian crude production will be curtailed by 2 million barrels of oil per day by the end of the first quarter of next year. Russian crude imports from December 5 and Russian oil products from Feburary 5 will be stopped by the European Union, depriving Russia of oil revenues and forcing one of the world's top oil producers and exporters to seek alternative markets. The EU is debating a price cap on Russian seaborne oil for the provision of shipping and insurance, according to Reuters.