As you read this, keep in mind that this is all Russia's perspective.

Don't Fear the Alliance: Clinton says NATO no threat to Moscow

Washington has strongly urged Moscow not to view the alliance as a major threat to its security. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was speaking at the Atlantic Conference in Washington. This comes after Russia's new military doctrine highlighted NATO expansion as a top threat.


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Hillary Clinton's Invitation to Russia Sounds Like a Belch of Cold War

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated in Washington February 23 that Russia and NATO should cooperate closer, and that the Russian administration needs to take part in the development of the new missile defense system, which NATO members currently build.

"While Russia faces challenges to its security, NATO is not among them,” Clinton said in Washington. "We want a cooperative NATO-Russia relationship that produces concrete results and draws NATO and Russia closer. Just as Russia is an important partner in efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation, so should it be in missile defense,” she said.

She also said that NATO and the Russian Federation must be more open to each other. However, she virtually rejected Russia’s ideas about the new European Security Treaty, albeit she pointed out several of Russia’s suggestions about the treaty.

“The Russian government has put forth proposals for new security treaties for Europe,” Clinton said. “However, we believe that these common goals are best pursued in the context of existing institutions, such as the OSCE and the NATO-Russia Council, rather than by negotiating new treaties, as Russia has suggested,” she said.

We have to say that it has been a while since a high-ranking US state official delivered such an abstract speech about the relations between Russia and NATO. Clinton was highly diplomatic in her speech – she has not made any attacks against Russia. Yet, she made it clear that the United States was not going to revise the existent system of the European security.

“Mrs. Clinton’s speech does not contain the answers to the questions, which Moscow repeatedly put to American and NATO partners,” Russia’s Ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said February 23.

Russia remains concerned about the situation, which has been formed during the recent 20 years, when NATO’s defense machine was moving closer and closer to Russia’s borders. However, the USA simply ignored Russia’s concerns at this point.

“This is a one-legged world. One can characterize NATO’s spontaneous eastward expansion as a belch of the Cold War. We can not be satisfied with these rules. Russia does not need cosmetic repairs of an organizations of the European-Atlantic partnership, particularly the OSCE. What we need is equitable, stable and eternal peace in Europe,” Rogozin said.

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