At NATO meeting, foreign ministers agree to bolster Ukraine's security

BRUSSELS, June 25 (UPI) -- NATO foreign ministers convened in Brussels on Wednesday to prepare for the Alliance's September summit and to endorse a support package to bolster Ukraine's defense.

"Today we stressed the importance of our collective defense," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated.

Ukraine's new foreign minister, Pavlo Klimkin, met with his counterparts to discuss the details of NATO's assistance. The package includes funds to bolster defense capacity, including in the areas of logistics, command and control, as well as cyber defense.

Rasmussen applauded Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's peace plan for the country's restive eastern region. "Ukraine has a clear vision for rebuilding its defense and security sector," he said, "and a clear strategy for resolving the crisis."

As for Russia's continued aggression toward Ukraine while speaking diplomatically, Rasmussen reiterated, "There will be no business as usual with Russia until Russia comes back into line with its international obligations."