Russia accuses NATO of challenging its security interests

(Baonghean.vn) - NATO's actions are creating risks and challenges to Russia's security interests as well as destroying trust between the parties.

NATO soldiers conduct exercises in Poland. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

This is the statement of Mr. Anton Mazur - Head of the Russian negotiating delegation made on July 5 at the annual security review conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The Russian Foreign Ministry quoted Mr. Anton Mazur as saying: “Despite our warnings about the dangers and counterproductiveness of NATO's eastward expansion policy, the borders of the world's largest military bloc are approaching Russia's borders.

Work has begun on the territories of the new members to develop military infrastructure. Military activities of the new model have been deployed on land, in the air and at sea, including an air patrol mission and multinational exercises.

In addition, the Russian representative also mentioned the fact that the establishment of NATO missile defense facilities in Europe, which are based on the US global missile shield system, “has begun on a practical roadmap.”

“Non-nuclear states, including those in Eastern Europe, have participated in NATO nuclear exercises. The alliance is also developing a confrontation plan in the Baltic and Black Sea regions,” Mr. Mazur added.

The Russian representative stressed: "NATO's steps have created risks and challenges to Moscow's security interests even before the crisis in Russia-NATO relations broke out."

According to Mr. Mazur, NATO member states do not want to dialogue with Russia on the topic of controlling conventional weapons in Europe.

Mr Mazur criticised the increasingly frequent military moves on the eastern and central European flanks, such as the nearly 50,000 troops from NATO member states that have carried out military exercises this month.

The Russian representative urged the military alliance to immediately end military actions near Russia's borders, to pave the way for dialogue, thereby finding solutions to enhance trust and security in the region.

According to the head of the Russian delegation, the root of the decline in security in Europe “is rooted in NATO's military policy based on the confrontational framework”./.

Lan Ha

(According to TASS)