Russia’s actions threaten the stability and security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said.

"Russia’s actions threaten the stability and security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area. And we need to carefully consider both the short-term, and the long-term implications for our Alliance," the secretary general said in his opening remarks at a meeting of the NATO Defense Ministers on Tuesday.

"We face a new security situation in Europe. After the end of the Cold War, NATO consistently engaged Russia in a spirit of cooperation, not confrontation, seeking to build a strategic partnership," Rasmussen said.

However, "Russia’s irresponsible and illegal actions are a serious challenge to a Europe whole", the secretary general said.

In his words, Russia has shown it is ready to use force to redraw borders and to destabilize sovereign nations in pursuit of its geopolitical goals.