US spokesman Sean McCormack told newsmen in Washington that the Russian point of view makes no difference to NATO when it votes on whether a country qualifies to join its membership action program or how soon that or other country may be allowed to join that programme. Mr McCormack said nothing new, and, to be frank, had nothing new to say about the matter in question. All he did was to confirm the official position of the White House and NATO. He said that in response to a journalist’s request for comment on the new concept for the foreign policy of the Russian Federation, endorsed last Tuesday by President Dmitri Medvedev. That new document highlights Russian displeasure over the enlargement of NATO, especially its plans to expand into the Ukraine and Georgia.
Let me point out, in regard to this, that the Russian position has been constant since the times of President Putin, which demonstrates continuity in the Kremlin strategy. That has absolutely nothing to do with attempts to meddle in the internal affairs of NATO and veto its decisions. That would, of course, be completely absurd. NATO has a charter of its own, and protects its own and its members’ interests.
But, if we continue this chain of logic and follow it to its conclusion, we will unavoidably arrive at the equally obvious conclusion that Russia must protect its own national interests. Before Russia approved plans for the reunification of Germany, it was assured that NATO would refrain from expanding eastwards. What has happened since then is no secret. The NATO war machine has rolled up to the border of Russia. The USA is thinking in terms of building military bases in Bulgaria and Rumania, deploying ten ABM missile silos in Poland, and constructing a radar station in the Czech Republic. There is speculation on the possible basing of the ABM missile silos in Lithuania instead of Poland. At the same time, the USA and the other members of NATO refuse to ratify the Treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe. Russia did so a long time ago.
Taking such considerations into account, Moscow cannot afford to ignore the latest developments. Therefore, it presents its position with the utmost frankness and speaks of its possible responses in terms of diplomacy or military action. As we can see, it is not words and intentions, but, concrete actions that count in politics. Moscow believes that the various aspects of continental and, yes, even global security are intertwined and indivisible. It is impossible to protect your interests by harming the interests of another nation. NATO is running on inertia, irreversibly mired in the Cold War period. However, Russia invites the United States and its allies to sign a legally-binding pan-European security agreement. President Medvedev brought that point up at his meeting on Wednesday meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.
17 July 2008
Viktor Yenikeyev
Voice of Russia World Service
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=rus&q=77367&cid=19&p=17.07.2008 (in Russian)
