RIA Novosti: NATO will be useful if it drops its geopolitical ambitions – Russian envoy

(RIA Novosti – December 26, 2014) Russia’s permanent envoy to NATO Aleksandr Grushko has said that NATO is beginning to realize that it cannot overcome the current crisis in European security without Russia, RIA Novosti (part of the state-owned International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya) reported on 26 December.

“My impression is that among many NATO member states, first of all the European members, a realization is growing that without Russia it will be impossible to achieve consistent results in strengthening European security and overcoming the systemic crisis that we are seeing today,” Grushko said during a videoconference at the International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya on the same day.

Grushko added that NATO needs to make up its mind “about how it is going to strengthen Euro-Atlantic and European security – with Russia, without Russia or against Russia”.

According to Grushko, NATO is using the crisis in Ukraine as an excuse for building up its military presence near Russi! a’s borders.

“We are convinced that the Ukrainian crisis was used by NATO to give to this process a kind of ideological basis. Those plans that had been hatched before are now supported by the alleged need to counter threats that have emerged on the eastern periphery as a result of the Ukrainian crisis, and NATO is simply using the crisis in Ukraine as a pretext, as an explanation of military preparations that are being made now,” Grushko said.

However, Grushko added, NATO will be more useful if it abandons its geopolitical ambitions and will take part in collective efforts of the international community in response to new challenges and threats.

“The idea that NATO should lead the global movement to strengthen security and build a world as a pyramid, with NATO in the centre and a network of partnerships around it, is an absolutely unviable construction,” Grushko said.

“Moreover, I am convinced that NATO may be used in the interests of the interna! tional community if it drops its geopolitical ambitions and stops trying to play the role of an international policeman, a judge and a bailiff all at the same time, and joins international efforts. Then it will be perceived as one of the factors that can be used to solve problems,” the diplomat said.

[featured image is file photo from unrelated past event]