NATO suspends joint mission with Russia

BRUSSELS  -- NATO announced on Wednesday to suspend the planning for first NATO-Russia joint escort-vessel-mission to neutralise Syria's chemical weapons.

The maritime escort for the US ship Cape Ray, which will neutralise Syria's chemical weapons. "But Russia will not be involved in the escort of the US vessel," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a press conference following the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council.

"We have also decided that no staff-level civilian or military meetings with Russia will take place for now. We have put the entire range of NATO-Russia cooperation under review," he added.

Western countries are in tensions with Russia due to the Ukraine crisis,some "targeted measures" have been reportedly outlined by the European Union.

Rasmussen stressed that NATO has put the entire range of NATO-Russia cooperation under review.

"NATO foreign ministers will take decisions on this in early April," he said.

However, he said NATO remains opening for political dialogue and ready to maintain meetings of ambassadors in the NATO-Russia Council.