Posted on 04/10/2014 5:31:04 AM PDT by McGruff
Russia's Foreign Ministry accused NATO on Thursday of using the crisis in Ukraine to boost its appeal to members and justify its existence by rallying them against an imaginary threat.
Russia and the West are locked in a Cold War-style stand-off over Ukraine and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Moscow to pull back troops from the Ukrainian border or face consequences if they intervene.
The ministry said Rasmussen's remarks were confrontational and that in recent months he had not offered "any constructive agenda" for Ukraine, adding that it was adding to instability in the region.
"The constant accusations against us by the secretary general convince us that the alliance is trying to use the crisis in Ukraine to rally its ranks in the face of an imaginary external threat to NATO members and to strengthen demand for the alliance ... in the 21st century," it said.
NATO has suspended all practical military and civilian cooperation with Russia, although it said political dialogue could continue at ambassador level or higher, since Russia incorporated Ukraine's Crimea region last month.
The Western military alliance has also limited access for Russian diplomat's to its headquarters and is reviewing a 1997 co-operation agreement with Russia and subsequent Rome declaration of 2002 that prevented it from setting up bases in eastern and central Europe.
Russia has responded by accusing NATO of having a Cold War mentality and has expressed concern over the possibility of deploying the alliance's troops in eastern Europe permanently.
Meanwhile, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said Russia is a reliable energy supplier to western countries but it has other potential partners if they turn elsewhere for oil and gas in response to the Ukraine crisis.
At an event in Berlin, Shuvalov also said that imposing sanctions on Russia would not change the behaviour of President Vladimir Putin and that the tougher sanctions were, the more united Russian society would become.
Blame Putin.
Easy to do since he is a major league thug.
I agree. Without Putin’s action, NATO would go out of business. I KNOW.
Putin used Crimea to boost his appeal.
Defensive alliances between weaker nations do tend to seem more appealing when a larger nation is in the process of carving them up.
Ukraine a part of NATO now?
************
Part of Occupy Terra.
Putin’s psychotic genocidal aggression against practically all of Russia’s neighbors justifies NATO’s expansion. Nations want to be part of NATO to get protection from Putin’s evil thug regime. The civilized nations of the world must band together to face the threat of the uncivilized savage Russian threat. NATO is the most powerful military force in the world and we should continue to expand it. If Russia goes to war with NATO, Russia will lose.
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