>From: "Macdonald Stainsby" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Forwarded from: Ulhas Joglekar. > >Sunday 12 March 2000 > >Putin's statement on NATO criticised >By Arun Mohanty >MOSCOW: Russian acting President Vladimir Putin's controversial statement on >the possibility of Russia joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation >(NATO) has come in for sharp criticism, with some terming it a "betrayal" of >India and China. >Putin, in an interview with the BBC, said he does not exclude the >possibility of Russia joining NATO, provided it has an equal status with the >other members of the organisation. "It is hard for me to visualise NATO as >an enemy," he said. >His statement was received with shock and surprise by friends and foes alike >of NATO in Russia. >Though Putin's statement was cheered by right-wing parties, which openly >rejoiced over it, the leaders of the People's Patriotic Forces made a >scathing attack on him. >"It is naive and unpardonable for a politician of his level" to make such a >statement, said Gennady Zyuganov, Peoples' Patriotic Union leader and >chairman of Russia's powerful Communist party that finished first in the >recent elections to the state Duma (Parliament). >An angry Zyuganov told the local media that Putin's statement is a "betrayal >of our people and our strategic partners in the East, like India and China." >Russia has of late been nourishing a strategic partnership with India and >China after being cold-shouldered by its Western partners and NATO. Among >the important elements of Russia's strategic partnership with India and >China is their common opposition to NATO's eastward expansion and a desire >to build a multipolar world. >"Putin's remark was ostensibly aimed at showing that NATO is not an enemy of >Russia and that Russia is not destined to be NATO's enemy," said Evgeny >Pashentsev of the Centre for International Studies, one of Moscow's >strategic think tanks. >"Putin is showing that his heart is mostly where the hearts of his mentors >like Sobchak and Yeltsin were -- in the West," he said. "Vladimir Putin >indicated that Russia could join NATO if and when Russian views are taken >into account," he added. >"When we talk about our opposition to NATO's expansion, its attempts to >exclude us from the process are what cause opposition and concern on our >part," Putin had said, adding that "Russia is part of European culture, what >we often call as the civilised world, and therefore, it is with difficulty I >imagine NATO as an enemy." >"Does our acting President and president-in-making understand what kind of >signals he is sending to our strategic partners in the East like India and >China by such remarks?" asked Pashentsev. >"I am afraid Putin's statement would sow the seeds of misunderstanding and >doubt in the minds of our strategic partners," he added. >Meanwhile, Putin, in a bid to control the damage his statement had caused >and retain his patriotic image at home, particularly in view of the >presidential election in which he is the leading contender, sought to defend >it. He said Josef Stalin had also made a similar proposal in 1949 for the >erstwhile Soviet Union's membership of NATO. >However, some foreign policy experts in Moscow believe that what Putin said >on joining NATO is a placatory remark to the West, particularly given its >adverse reaction to the happenings in Chechnya, and is an attempt to >alleviate the sense of hostility that Russians often express towards NATO. >(India Abroad News Service) >For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service >|Disclaimer| >For comments and feedback send Email >� Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2000. > >_______ >Macdonald Stainsby >----- >Check out the Tao ten point program: http://new.tao.ca > >"The only truly humanitarian war would be one against >underdevelopment, hunger and disease." >- Fidel Castro __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
