The United States should not forget about the challenges from Russia against the backdrop of the growing confrontation between Washington and Beijing.
This was stated by the Foreign Ministers of Latvia and Estonia and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Lithuania in a joint interview with the American edition of Newsweek.
“While solving one problem, let's not forget about another.
Otherwise, one morning we will wake up, and an unpleasant surprise will await us, and we will again think who has not watched where, ”said the head of the Latvian Foreign Ministry Edgars Rinkevich.
The Latvian diplomat added that he very much hopes that "the current American administration and the countries of the European Union will not forget about the problems Russia is creating."
“Some in the European Union, as well as across the Atlantic, argue that we can do more with Russia as opposed to China.
I see a certain naivety in this, ”said Rinkevich.
In turn, Deputy Foreign Minister of Lithuania Mantas Adomenas noted that the allies should pay attention to threats from both Russia and China.
“Russia poses an extremely important threat in the short and medium term.
However, China poses a systemic challenge to our democratic way of life, and this cannot be ignored, ”he said.
According to Adomenas, the United States "must pay close strategic attention not only to one point on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, but also to a point in the east of Europe."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova, commenting on these statements by diplomats of the Baltic republics, noted that they advise the United States not to forget about the "Russian threat" for fear of being left behind in the event of a collapse of American geopolitical influence.
“Translation from phantom into human language means the following.
Honestly practicing for many years American attitudes towards Russophobia and, contrary to their own interests, reducing relations with Russia to nothing, these political regimes are very afraid that they will not be able to catch hold of the wing of an American plane leaving the limits of its former geopolitical influence, ”Zakharova wrote in her Telegram channel ...
Endless threat
A week earlier, the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States met with their British counterpart, Foreign Minister Elizabeth Truss.
The summit was also dedicated to Russia.
As a result, the parties circulated a communiqué in which they agreed to strengthen joint opposition to hostile actions by Russia.
The document also declared that they are going to defend their interests in the field of national security and call on Russia to fulfill international obligations, including in the field of human rights.
British Foreign Minister Elizabeth Truss with the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States
AP
© Hollie Adams
The parties reaffirmed NATO's role as the backbone of Euro-Atlantic security and agreed to work together to strengthen the alliance against existing and emerging threats.
Russia has repeatedly rejected the statements of the Baltic countries about the threat allegedly emanating from the Russian Federation.
So, in May of this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking of NATO's eastward expansion, when Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were admitted to the alliance, compared the behavior of the Baltic countries towards the Russian Federation with the actions of courtyard hooligans.
“We were told: well, the Balts have such phobias after your occupation, and in general they were oppressed ... Who oppressed them and how?
If everyone kept their languages, did the industry in the Baltics grow by several orders of magnitude during the Soviet era?
It doesn't matter, in general, they dragged them into NATO and told us: just don’t worry, they will calm down from their phobias, and it will be calm at your borders, ”the minister said.
These republics are actively pursuing an anti-Russian policy and hope for the protection of the United States, the Russian diplomat said.
At the same time, Lavrov added that Russia is not going to get away with everything, and this period in Moscow's politics is far behind.
“Our main goal is not peacefulness and not an agreement, but ensuring the interests of the country and its citizens.
A treaty is an instrument, and it can only be equal, ”Lavrov said.
He stressed that Russia always stands for peace, but has not promised anyone to "turn the other cheek".
American priorities
In March last year, US Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, James Gilmore, said that Russia does not pose a threat to the Baltic countries.
"The Baltic states are to a large extent part of what is now called Western society, and we do not believe that there is any threat to them at present," Gilmore told reporters.
The American diplomat explained that Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia may not be afraid of the Russian Federation, as they are members of the North Atlantic Alliance.
He recalled that the military of these countries are participating in NATO maneuvers, which at the same time do not threaten Russia.
Capitol
Gettyimages.ru
© Tim Graham
In February 2020, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda also stated that the deployment of US and NATO military contingents in the Baltic States is a strong deterrent for Russia.
The current appeals of high-ranking diplomats of the Baltic countries to the United States with a request not to forget about them and the Russian "threat" will remain unaddressed, says Alexander Domrin, professor at the HSE Faculty of Law.
“The diplomats of these three countries need to do something and periodically make some statements.
There will be no consequences.
The Baltic countries want money.
They say: give us more money, and we will come up with threats.
There used to be a Soviet threat, now there is a Russian threat, and now there is little Russian threat, a Chinese threat has appeared, ”the political scientist noted.
Now the United States is looking for new allies to contain China and is ready to sacrifice relations for this, even with major European players in the person of France, Domrin recalled.
And the Baltic countries and their opinion will not play any role here, the expert added.
“There will be no effect from their statements.
France was completely frankly thrown, although it is a NATO member, since the United States, together with Great Britain, which had already left the EU, and Australia, decided to create a new alliance aimed at containing China, "the interlocutor of RT emphasized.
As noted, in turn, by Konstantin Blokhin, a leading researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Balts realize that the United States is shifting the main emphasis of its foreign policy course from the Russian Federation to China.
“All of Washington's initiatives must be interpreted in the context of this incipient race of the 21st century between the United States and China.
Even the US withdrawal from Afghanistan is also an attempt to free itself from the heaviest baggage that cost US taxpayers trillions of dollars.
Now this money will be used to contain China and Russia, ”the expert explained.
But if we rank these problems, it is clear that for the United States, dominance in the Asia-Pacific region comes to the fore, believes Konstantin Blokhin.
“It is obvious that the Balts are afraid of this, since their whole existence is built on the principle of Russophobia and absolute loyalty to the United States.
If the threat and the need to contain Russia disappear, if the possibility of normalizing relations arises, then why does Washington need them?
They turn from an asset into a liability, ”the expert noted.
In addition, the Baltic republics have many competitors for the position of the US ally against Russia, added the interlocutor of RT.
“First of all, now Ukraine wants to have this status, to integrate into NATO and become the main Russophobic power.
Poland is also aiming at this.
The potential of Poland and the same Ukraine is incommensurable with these three Baltic states.
So the Balts have someone to compete with.
It all depends on Washington.
So far, of course, there will be no special changes in the trajectories of Washington's foreign policy towards Russia, and the Balts simply remind of themselves, ”the expert concluded.