Russia, NATO's equal member?

[BonyN]

PUTIN, NATO'S LORD ROBERTSON MEET
By JUDITH INGRAM Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW (AP) . With terrorism as a common enemy, Russia's president and the NATO chief on Friday explored areas where the former foes could move from consultation to cooperation between equals, edging closer to a new partnership after decades of rivalry.

``There is a sense of history,'' NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson told reporters after his Kremlin meeting with President Vladimir Putin. ``There is a very strong sense that this is a moment of opportunity which must be seized.''

While there was no talk of Russia joining the 19-nation military alliance, Robertson said he and Russian officials held ``exploratory discussions to establish whether there are areas where NATO and Russia could perhaps work at 20 rather than at 19 plus one.''

``This would be a major, groundbreaking change if Russia was to be around the same table with the NATO countries,'' he said.

Relations between the Cold War foes . severely strained by NATO's steady eastward expansion and its airstrikes in Yugoslavia in 1999 . have warmed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States.

Wary of U.S. motives in Asia since the 1991 Soviet collapse, Russia has emerged as a key supporter of the U.S.-led operation in Afghanistan, and Russia and NATO see each other as partners in the war against terrorism.

But Moscow is dissatisfied with its ties to NATO, offended that the U.S.-led alliance does not treat it as an equal. Putin has repeatedly said the threat of terrorism . thrust to the fore on Sept. 11 . demands closer cooperation between Russia and the West.

Russia's contacts with NATO currently are limited to dialogue in a body called the Permanent Joint Council, and Russian officials have complained of being informed of key NATO decisions only after the fact.

Already shaky, Russia's ties with NATO soured significantly in 1999 when the alliance bombed Yugoslavia, its traditional Slavic ally in the Balkans, and Russia remains firmly opposed to NATO's eastward push.

Two years ago, the alliance brought in Moscow's former Warsaw Pact allies Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, and it is expected to soon embrace the former Soviet republics in the Baltic region . Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Closer ties with Russia are unlikely to alter those plans, but a more substantial Russian role could make NATO expansion more palatable . particularly to Russian political and military leaders who fiercely oppose NATO membership for the Baltic states.

In Brussels last month, Putin told Robertson that Russia's relationship with NATO should not be overshadowed by the issue of expansion . one of many signals that he believes Russia has more to gain by cooperation with the West than by confrontation.

Robertson said Friday that Putin is calling for ``bold'' and ``revolutionary'' changes in the NATO-Russia relationship, but that ``he also made it clear that this is not some backdoor mechanism for Russia to join NATO.''

Among the areas under discussion for an equal Russian role are counterterrorism, preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and peacekeeping in the Balkans, Robertson said.

Cooperation on fighting terrorism and weapons proliferation would bring Russia closer to NATO without affecting the alliance's main military activities.

Robertson said that on weapons proliferation, Putin acknowledged that ``Russia, since the end of the Soviet Union, may have made mistakes on this critical issue.''

Russia has been accused of providing nuclear technology to Iran, a major concern for the United States.

Putin thanked Robertson for his efforts to give new weight to NATO's relationship with Russia.

``I am sure that your visit will be a positive development for security in Europe and throughout the world,'' Putin said. ``In any case, I evaluate very positively the development of the relationship between NATO and Russia.''

[Ragnvald]

I would make a guess, that most fierce opposition to Russia's membership in NATO would come from Baltic republics, and Poland. Especially from Balts.

Those people have a big urge to spit into Russian face as many times as possible after collapse of USSR.

There are, of course, some historical grievences, but we all have them against Soviets.
But nobody came as low as refusing citizenship to locally born people on purely racial background.

Nobody came as low as treating Nazi helpers as heroes.
And only after rebuke from EU, they squeezed their home grown Nazies a bit.

I wonder if Americans know that Latvia grants citizenship to local Russians only if they were born there before 1939???? 60 yeras ago. All other Russians, though born in Latvia in second or third generation, considered as occupants.
Obviously, in accordance to American and EU rules, human rights don't apply to Russians.
'Cauze, I don't remenber that such facts were much publicied in Western media.

[BonyN]

I agree with you on the Baltic states. I know some people from Riga that just immigrated to US, they tell some horror stories. But isn't it amazing though, Russia in NATO? Who says things don't change?

[Marxman]

Yo! Don't you know that terrorists didn't even touch the WTC? That OSAMA BIN LADEN is just an excuse for USA's interference with the East or should we say americanization of the EAST. Not to mention the oil!!!

[mastodon]

Actually, terrorists left two big craters at the site of the WTC. Saying they didn't is living a big idealic lie.

If someone is wronged, they do not have necessary right to return the atrocity.

[titoman]

Look Mastodon,

Will you believe someone that has lied to public more than anyone ever! THIS IS AMERICA! I DONT BELIEVE IT ANYTHING ABOUT AMERICA MORE! THEY ARE IMPERIALISTS!!!

[titoman]

Hey Rambo!

Cool ok send everything, i will slaughter them with my ak47!