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 exercise in Poland. Photo AFP/Getty Images

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

“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,” the Russian Foreign Ministry quoted Anton Mazur as saying.

Work has begun on the territories of the new members to develop military infrastructure. Military activities of the new model have been carried out 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 planning for confrontation in the Baltic and Black Sea regions,” Mazur added.

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

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 “lies in NATO's military policy based on the confrontational framework”./.

Lan Ha

(According to TASS)