Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Krasnaya Zvezda August 11, 2001 [translation from RIA Novosti for personal use only] WHY IS RUSSIA INVITED TO NATO? By Yuri PANKOV The Russian and foreign press is actively discussing the prospects of Russia's admission to NATO. The reason for this was the loud statement of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on the possibility of Russia's NATO membership "in the remote historical perspective." NATO today is a mini-model of a mono-polar world led by the USA and the main instrument of creating such model for the whole world. NATO is an American organisation living on mostly American money and implementing mostly American interests. It is effective as long as it acts on Washington's orders. If a member does not want to take part in some of its operations, nobody will force it, although there are highly effective economic and political instruments for doing this. This is exactly what happened during the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia. Those who did not want to bomb it, didn't do it, but were ordered to provide the infrastructure and ensure the NATO cover and common responsibility for that American aggression. If some member does not like NATO, it is free to leave. The door is held wide open. This is what France did when it left the NATO military structures in 1966. But it did not leave NATO as it knew that the bloc's decisions influence European security matters. It is easy to understand why other members did not follow France's example and also blackballed its idea of creating a purely European structure as an alternative to NATO. The thing is that despite its negative elements, NATO was an effective and materially not very burdening mechanism for small European countries, of ensuring security in the era of global confrontation and in conditions of new challenges to Europe and the rest of the world. But today, ten years after the Iron Curtain was raised, the US administration is working tooth and nail not just to preserve NATO, but also to perpetuate it in the form that suits it best. NATO remains the crucial force of Washington, which wants to topple the ABM Treaty and sell its anti-missile shield to its allies. The message of President Bush is that NATO should be prepared to repel new challenges. Yet NATO is bound to change. And the first step to this was the consequences of its aggression against Yugoslavia, which sobered quite a few Europeans. But launching that aggression NATO pushed itself into a dead-end from which it can emerge in two ways, say some politicians and analysts on international affairs: either by dissolving itself, or by accepting Russia as a member. The bloc will never agree to the former solution, as the USA will not allow this. Hence, the latter way appears to be more realistic. On the other hand, NATO surely knows that the admission of Russia to the bloc would turn it from an effective military instrument into a political organisation, where the currently formal search for consensus will become difficult and long. In addition, NATO will no longer be used as the US stick. A great power with a powerful nuclear arsenal and its own interests, Russia would never consent to bombing a sovereign state or use a policy of sanctions and threats. On the other hand, it is expected that the NATO summit in November 2002 will make a decision on further enlargement of the bloc. It is highly probable that everyone willing will be invited, although at a different time and on different conditions. If Russia speaks up against this and takes adequate reply measures, Europe will see NATO not as a defender, but as a threat to continental security. And this would threaten the integrity of the bloc, whose transatlantic solidarity is showing signs of strain. As for what Herr Schroeder said, he made his statement immediately after his defence minister had visited Russia. Observers pointed to this connection. And Italy, which is preparing for the September meeting of the bloc's defence ministers, announced that this issue might be put on the agenda. A source in the NATO headquarters hurried to refute the possibility, saying that such decisions are not made by defence ministers. However, it was also reported that Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov might be invited to attend the September meeting in Naples. It should be said that Germany carries weight in NATO. Being a leader of the bloc, that country is also the driving force of European integration, which is coming into greater conflict with NATO, especially in the sphere of defence and security. Europe has shown that it no longer wants to mindlessly follow Washington by speaking up virtually unanimously against the USA's unilateral withdrawal from the ABM Treaty and thus forcing the Americans to sit down at the negotiating table with Moscow. Despite bawled orders from across the ocean, most European countries are reducing their armies. Russia and Europe are waging an intensive security dialogue and European leaders say Moscow will be surely involved, one way or another, in the European defence component. This sounds as an invitation to a joint search for solutions. If this is the reason for Germany's invitation of Russia to NATO, the time is ripe for the USA to start worrying about the possibility of being pushed away from the construction of a new architecture of European security. ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://TOPICA.COM/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
