Moscow warns Nato away from the Baltics

Financial Times ^ | March 1 2004 | Judy Dempsey

[Tailgunner Joe]

Russia has warned Nato it will not tolerate the US-led military alliance stationing troops or equipment in the Baltic states once they join Nato next month.

Sergei Yastrzhembsky, President Vladimir Putin's special foreign policy envoy, who was at Nato's headquarters last Friday, told the FT it would be "very negative" if the alliance had "any footprint regardless of the size" in Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania.

"Nato should consider the national concerns of Russian policy," Mr Yastrzhembsky said. "We understand a Nato footprint in Bulgaria or Romania as bases for aviation in the fight against terrorism. It is difficult to see the need for anti-terrorism actions in the Baltic states."

Mr Yastrzhembsky's views reflect a hardening of Russian foreign policy on a wide range of issues, particularly compliance with the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, a cornerstone of European security. The CFE treaty was designed to establish parity in significant conventional forces and armaments from the Atlantic to the Urals.

It was first signed in Paris in 1990 and later updated at Istanbul in 1999 to take into account the end of the cold war, but Russia has yet to ratify it. Sergei Ivanov, Russian defence minister, recently told a security conference in Munich that Moscow would not ratify it in its present form, a view repeated by Mr Yastrzhembsky.

Moscow has retained military bases in Georgia and in Trans Dnestr, a region in Moldova controlled by Russian nationalists who are seeking autonomy from Moldova.

Some Nato diplomats said Russia was trying to link Nato accession by the Baltic states to its CFE obligations in the Caucasus. Russia, for example, wants the Baltic states to be part of the CFE treaty, which would impose limits on conventional weapons and Nato's movements.

Mr Yastrzhembsky said Russia had "already closed two bases in Georgia", adding that it would soon start bilateral negotiations with Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia's new president.

If a deal were clinched, Mr Yastrzhembsky said Russia could complete its withdrawal from Georgia in 11 years. Georgia wants the troops to leave within three years. "Maybe we will find some time in between," he added.

He insisted no timetables for the withdrawals had been agreed at Istanbul, while Nato officials said Russia had missed several deadlines set by Istanbul.

Mr Yastrzhembsky said redeployments could not take place since Russia needed more money to "prepare a new infrastructure for the return of the Russian troops".

During talks in Washington last week with Mr Saakashvili, George W. Bush, US president, called on Russia "to honour the Istanbul commitment that made it very clear that Russia would leave those places".

[RKV]

Sorry Sergei, those countries are independent now. If you had shown good faith by not selling weapons to Sadaam, we might be inclined to show more restraint, but it is too late now. Tell Vlad we haven't forgotten.

[varon]

BUMP

[nuconvert]

Will not tolerate?

EXCUSE ME?

[Joe Bonforte]

Russia - the France of the 21st Century. Used to be important, now has delusions that it still is.

[NonValueAdded]

Yastrzhembsky? Carl, is that you? How will the sox do this year?

[FreedomCalls]

They have a point. Stationing NATO forces in the Baltics is a violation of the CFE treaty is it not?

[MD_Willington_1976]

Still think the cold war is over?...Putin is a commie and will always be a commie...Communism has gone global..it's called global democracy...most countries that receice immigrants from the ol'ussr find that it is awfully hard to wean them off the social welfare teet...One way to look at it, cram socialism down these peoples throats for a few generations, then let them go abroad...they will praise there new found democracy and freedom...but they will always long for the government to provide them with the basics, medicare especially...

An easy dupe...

[billly]

We promised the Europeans freedom. It would be worse than dishonorable not to see that they have it. This might mean war with the Russians, but what of it? They have no Air Force, and their gasoline and ammunition supplies are low. I've seen their miserable supply trains; mostly wagons drawn by beaten up old horses or oxen. I'll say this; the Third Army alone and with damned few casualties, could lick what is left of the Russians in six weeks. You mark my words. Don't ever forget them. Someday we will have to fight them and it will take six years and cost us six million lives.

[RWR8189]

If you think the Red Army is the same thing as the Republican Guard, I think you're sorely mistaken, and a bit crazy.

I have always said we could win a war with Russia, but it would be very bloody and very long.

[struwwelpeter]

He's quoting George C. Scott in Patton. Prophetic words they were, too.

[RWR8189]

Oh geez, don't I feel like an idiot?

And that was just on a few nights ago...

[F16Fighter]

NATO??

Is there still a NATO??

[Spruce]

Dear Sergei,

Blow me.

Thank you.

[RKV]

Excuse my ignorance, what CFE treaty? Did we sign it?

[RKV]

Ah google. http://www.nato.int/usa/info/cfe.html
The treaty was with the Warsaw pact, and now null. An update is pending Russia's approval. In other words, according to NATO, CFE is dead as a duck.

[NeonKnight]

I am not sure we could ever win a war IN Russia. We are quite capable of containing them, we have been doing it for decades.

[FreedomCalls]

Excuse my ignorance, what CFE treaty?

This one. The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

Did we sign it?

Of course we did.

[FreedomCalls]

The treaty was with the Warsaw pact, and now null.

Not true. The treaty is still valid and in force and binding on the countries of NATO the United States.

1. The States Parties to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe of 19 November 1990 met in a Review Conference in Vienna, in accordance with Article XXI of the Treaty, from 28 May to 1 June 2001, under the chairmanship of the Republic of Italy.

2. The States Parties reaffirmed the fundamental role of the CFE Treaty as a cornerstone of European security and their adherence to its goals and objectives. They reaffirmed their determination to fulfil in good faith all obligations and commitments arising from the Treaty and its associated documents.

[gipper81]

If a deal were clinched, Mr Yastrzhembsky said Russia could complete its withdrawal from Georgia in 11 years. Georgia wants the troops to leave within three years

11 years??? these soviets are a riot, they really are