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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/06/25/wnato25.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/06/25/ixworld.html Daily Telegraph June 25, 2002 Putin lets Nato 'recruit' in Baltic By Marcus Warren in Moscow -Mr Putin's acquiescence to Nato expanding its borders to within 100 miles of his home city, St Petersburg, was the latest sign of his strategic shift towards the West. President Vladimir Putin gave grudging approval yesterday to the Baltic states' membership of Nato, ending years of heated opposition by Moscow to the idea of a part of the old Soviet Union joining the alliance. While voicing scepticism about Nato's enlargement to include, among others, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. expected to be announced in November, Mr Putin insisted that it was "no tragedy". He said: "We do not think Nato's enlargement improves anyone's security, neither of the countries which intend to join Nato nor the organisation itself." Using Estonia, the smallest of the former Soviet republics, as an example, Mr Putin predicted that joining Nato would not harm relations with Russia. Mr Putin's acquiescence to Nato expanding its borders to within 100 miles of his home city, St Petersburg, was the latest sign of his strategic shift towards the West. He shocked many in Moscow earlier this year by describing the deployment of American military instructors in the former Soviet republic of Georgia as "no tragedy". __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
