NATO pledges close cooperation with Ukraine after Crimea secession, Russian incursion

BRUSSELS – NATO has vowed to intensify cooperation with Ukraine after the Crimea peninsula overwhelmingly to secede and try to join Russia.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya visited NATO headquarters Monday with a request list for technical equipment that Ukraine's government needs to deal with the secession of Crimea and the Russian forces incursion there. It was not immediately clear what equipment Ukraine was asking for.

NATO said in a statement the alliance was determined to boost cooperation, including the "increased ties with Ukraine's political and military leadership, strengthening efforts to build the capacity of the Ukrainian military and more joint training and exercises."

Deshchytsya said in talks with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen he "discussed our possible cooperation in the field of sending monitors to Ukraine."