NATO continues to seek outside threats for itself instead of seeking to resolve the crisis in relations with other countries.

This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova during the weekly briefing, commenting on Jens Stoltenberg's call to update the strategic concept of NATO because of Russia and China.

"The search for the enemy is being conducted by NATO comrades more and more actively," Zakharova said.

In her opinion, NATO representatives fundamentally "do not want to objectively assess their role in the crisis" of bilateral relations.

“In recent years, we have repeatedly presented for consideration initiatives that were aimed at finding ways out of this crisis, in particular, reducing tensions, creating a truly equal European Euro-Atlantic system.

All this remained without any intelligible reaction, ”the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman recalled.

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference following the first day of the North Atlantic Council meeting at the level of defense ministers said that NATO intends to update its strategic concept to meet new challenges. 

“I call on the heads of state and government during subsequent meetings this year to agree on the renewal of NATO's strategic concept.

It seems to me that now is the time - we have a concept that we adopted in 2010, and it has proven its effectiveness.

However, since then there have been fundamental changes in the security environment, ”he said.

According to him, in the new concept it is necessary to revise the alliance's policy towards China and Russia.

“For example, within the existing strategic concept, we do not take into account the changes in the balance of power and the security implications of the rise of China ... In 2010, we worked on what was called the“ strategic partnership with Russia ”.

Since then, we have witnessed Russia's aggressive actions towards its neighbors and the illegal annexation of Crimea - a fundamental change in the order of things has taken place, ”Stoltenberg said.

At the same time, the Secretary General called for strengthening ties between North America and Europe and "the ability of the alliance to create and build capacity in NATO partner countries."

“This is a more reliable way to ensure stability in our neighboring countries and counter terrorism,” he said.

In addition, Stoltenberg urged to develop cooperation with like-minded countries around the world in order to oppose the Russian Federation and the PRC.

“At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen political and practical cooperation with democratic countries that share our position around the world.

This way we will be able to preserve the (world. -

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) order based on rules, which countries that do not share our values, for example, Russia and China, are trying to undermine, ”he concluded.

  • Jens Stoltenberg

  • Reuters

  • © Francois Lenoir

At the end of 2020, Stoltenberg said NATO does not view Russia as a source of "an immediate threat of military attack."

At the same time, according to him, Moscow allegedly "uses its military power against its neighbors," such as Georgia and Ukraine.

He noted that although China is not an opponent of the alliance, the rise of this Asian state "creates problems" for NATO.

In January, he also named Russia and the PRC among the challenges of the North Atlantic bloc.

“We are simultaneously faced with many challenges: the rise of China ... a change in the global balance of power, Russia's activation and its use of force against neighboring Ukraine and in other parts of the world, as well as, of course, the constant threat of terrorist attacks,” Stoltenberg said on January 22 ...

From partnership to confrontation

It is worth noting that the Strategic Concept for Defense and Security of the Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, approved in 2010, stated that NATO does not consider any of the countries to be its adversaries.

“The most important task of the Alliance is to protect and defend the territories and populations of our countries from attack, as set out in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.

The Alliance does not view any country as its enemy.

Nevertheless, no one should have doubts about NATO's determination in the event that a threat arises to any of its members, ”the document says.

In addition, Russia is mentioned in the 2010 concept as one of the alliance's partners with whom NATO is interested in developing relations.

“NATO's cooperation with Russia is of strategic importance as it contributes to the creation of a common space of peace, stability and security.

NATO poses no threat to Russia.

On the contrary, we want to see a truly strategic partnership between NATO and Russia, and we will act accordingly, expecting reciprocity from Russia, ”the concept stated.

The document also stated that “the relationship between NATO and Russia is based on the goals, principles and commitments contained in the NATO-Russia Founding Act and the Rome Declaration, especially with regard to respect for democratic principles and sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all states of the Euro-Atlantic region ”.

In 2010, the leadership of the alliance believed that contradictions “on certain issues” could not interfere with the bloc's relations with the Russian Federation.

“Despite differences on certain issues, we remain confident that the security of NATO and Russia is closely intertwined and that a strong and constructive partnership based on mutual trust, transparency and predictability would be in the best interests of our security,” the authors of the concept note.

The text of the document also declares the alliance's "determination" to "expand political consultations and practical cooperation with Russia in areas of common interest, including missile defense, counter-terrorism, drugs, piracy and the promotion of broader international security."

In addition, the alliance expressed readiness "to use the full potential of the Russia-NATO Council for dialogue and joint actions with Russia."

  • Meeting of the NATO-Russia Council (RNC) in Brussels

  • RIA News

  • © Eduard Pesov

At the same time, in 2010 NATO also confirmed its course towards the expansion of the alliance.

“It (strategic concept. -

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) reaffirms our firm determination to keep NATO's doors open to all European democracies that meet the criteria for membership, as enlargement contributes to our goal of creating a united, free and peaceful Europe,” the text says.

At the same time, the concept separately mentioned the desire of the North Atlantic bloc to develop a dialogue with Ukraine and Georgia.

“We will strive ... to continue and develop our partnerships with Ukraine and Georgia in the NATO-Ukraine and NATO-Georgia Commissions, based on the decisions taken by NATO at the 2008 Bucharest Summit and taking into account the Euro-Atlantic orientation or aspirations of each of these countries ", - indicated in the document.

At the same time, China, which Stoltenberg mentioned as part of his call to revise the strategic concept, is not mentioned in the 2010 document.

It is worth noting that after the coup in Ukraine in 2014 and the subsequent return of Crimea to Russia, cooperation between the Russian Federation and NATO was actually curtailed.

This state of affairs in 2019 was stated by the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Grushko in an interview with RIA Novosti.

“NATO itself has abandoned a positive agenda in relations with Russia.

It doesn't exist.

And so far there are no signs that NATO knows how to get out of this impasse, ”he said.

The diplomat also called the very decision of the alliance to end normal working contacts along the military line absurd, since security in Europe largely depends on relations between Russia and NATO.

Grushko stressed that the alliance went too far in escalating confrontation with Russia.

He recalled that the military spending of NATO countries last year exceeded a trillion dollars, which is 22 times more than Russian spending on defense.

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, the renewal of NATO would be possible through the establishment of a true strategic partnership with Russia.

“Such an attempt was made at the 2010 Russia-NATO Lisbon summit.

However, in reality, NATO members would have to sacrifice their "exclusiveness", discover the art of compromise and work on equal terms, focus not on group interests, but on common interests.

This did not happen, ”the diplomat said.

"Force coercion strategy"

According to Dmitry Egorchenkov, director of the RUDN Institute for Strategic Studies, NATO is now in search of its place in the world in conditions when the main tasks for which the alliance was created are in the past.

“The concept, which they are now going to change, had to be changed a long time ago: a lot of time has passed, the situation has changed, many centers of power have appeared.

Another thing is that NATO has neither the intellectual nor the physical ability to adequately respond to these challenges, "he said in a conversation with RT.

The analyst believes that the new document will tighten the alliance's program in relation to the Russian Federation.

“As Stoltenberg said, there will be a tougher stance towards Russia.

In a sense, the Russian Federation will take the place of the USSR, the confrontation with which was the main goal of creating NATO.

Russia will be the main meaning-making factor for the alliance in the future.

And you just have to come to terms with this and react adequately, realizing that any talks about partnership between the Russian Federation and NATO are, by definition, conditional, "Yegorchenkov said.

He also did not rule out that the new concept “will pay more attention to the confrontation in cyberspace and the so-called hybrid war, which Russia is regularly accused of in the West.

According to Dmitry Yegorchenkov, China will be mentioned as a threat in the strategic concept.

“The PRC is likely to emerge as a serious regional threat, including in terms of nuclear weapons.

It is not for nothing that the Americans insisted for so long on the inclusion of Beijing in the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Arms, ”the analyst said.  

  • Military exercises of NATO countries

  • Reuters

  • © Ognen Teofilovski

At the same time, experts believe that in the new version of NATO's strategic concept, the provision on the expansion of the alliance and its influence in the world will remain in force.

“The general tendency to expand the zone of influence will remain, but it is not clear at what pace they will implement it.

The dialogue with Ukraine and Georgia will also continue, although their membership prospects are not completely clear, ”Yegorchenkov says.

Alexei Podberezkin, director of the Center for Military-Political Studies at MGIMO, adheres to a similar point of view.

“NATO will do its utmost to remove barriers to the entry of new states into the alliance.

In addition to Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia, they may try to draw the Central Asian states into their orbit.

Perhaps there will be an attempt to change the status of Finland and Sweden, which are not NATO members.

The goal of the alliance is to create a hostile ring around Russia, ”he said in an interview with RT.

At the same time, Alexey Podberezkin recalled that the NATO concept of 2010 was also far from friendly towards Russia.

“NATO's concept of relations with Russia in 2010 was not ideal.

It was adopted in the context of NATO expansion to the East and after the conflict in South Ossetia.

It is incorrect to say that this was a concept of cooperation.

The new concept will proceed from the strategy of coercion, the maximum use of all the means of this military bloc in order to change the political course of Russia, ”the analyst says.

In turn, Dmitry Egorchenkov noted that it is still not worth exaggerating the importance of NATO's strategic concept.

“This document is undoubtedly important as any strategic concept.

But it cannot be overestimated either, because the main decisions are made not by the NATO leadership, but by Washington.

And a lot will depend on what strategic goals the United States will set in Eurasia, ”the analyst concluded.