MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Moscow urges NATO to end its efforts of setting ties with Russia along a path reminiscent to that of the Cold War’s close, before it is too late, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The ministry said "at this stage Russian-NATO relations are at their lowest since the end of the Cold War." "The alliance’s drive to prove that it is still in demand by inflating the myth of "a threat from the East" stonewalls countries’ efforts to unify in order to fight against common threats and challenges."
"The growing negative tendency is not Russia’s choice," the ministry stressed. "This is a direct result of the bloc’s long-time, destructive line aimed at recklessly achieving military and political dominance in European and global affairs. Before it is too late, it is essential to end attempts of building relations with our country through schemes and mechanisms of the confrontation era."
Despite current difficulties, Russia is convinced that if during the confrontation between blocs the sides managed to discuss problems "this is more possible now when Euro-Atlantic states have no ideological differences."
NATO’s deployment on eastern flank leads to arms race
NATO’s deployment on the eastern flank leads to a dangerous round of arms race, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The measures undertaken for enhancing NATO’s eastern flank, boosting military presence and infrastructure in regions bordering Russia erode provisions of the Founding Act first of all in relation to commitments to "carry out its collective defense and other missions by ensuring the necessary interoperability, integration, and capability for reinforcement rather than by additional permanent stationing of substantial combat forces," the statement says.
The forward stationing of NATO’s equipment regardless of goals of using it means permanent military presence and the fact that a formal rotation of the personnel is carried out has no principal importance, the ministry noted.
Moscow says "the attempts of bypassing the principles of the Founding Act are dangerous and contrary to the genuine interests of NATO members." "We see in this region the alliance’s drive to legitimize military buildup near Russia’s borders, which together with military activity of some countries of the bloc change the balance of power in Europe and lead to a dangerous round of arms race," the ministry stressed.