Global Times: Why NATO Doesn't Want to Accept Russia?

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 13, 2002

Global Times: Why NATO Doesn't Want to Accept Russia?

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The NATO Summit Conference held in Prague decided to invite Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and four other East European countries to join the organization, the strategic space of NATO has, for the first time, pressed up to the city of St. Petersburg, Russia appeared to be very calm, but inwardly, how complicated it is can be imagined.

In a spate of their recent articles, many Russian scholars held that NATO's eastward expansion was militarily without any substantive significance, their reason was that the weapons and equipment of these new members are backward, their military strength is limited, the combined number of army men of the three Baltic countries is just a little over 20,000. So their accession to the organization can only be a burden to NATO and cannot enhance NATO's strength.

Even when the military spending of these countries is added. NATO's military expenditure can only increase an insignificant 2 percent. These countries cannot provide NATO with urgently needed military capability, such as long-distance transport planes and aerial refueling, only Russia has the ability to do so.

Some people ironically reminded the Americans that in the Afghanistan War, Russia's substantive help to the United States was far more important than NATO's shout aloud in support, nevertheless, the United States needs NATO to enhance its strength, and NATO is willing to accept small East European countries, while slamming the door upon Russia, the Russians really do not understand what's all this about.

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, an important reason why NATO was not reconciled to wither away was that the changing Russia still could not set the mind of the West at rest. As a common saying goes, "A lean camel is bigger than a horse". The West is still terrified by the sight of Russia's military strength. Currently, although Russia bears its decline patiently, its great ambition remains, it still hopes that someday it can stage a comeback.

"One must not be off one's guard", NATO can only have this sentence in mind, and doesn't want to say it openly. Its refusal to accept Russia is an expression of its psychology of doubts and misgivings. East European countries and some republics of the former Soviet Union still have doubts and fears of this formidable eastern neighbor, so they regard NATO as a secure haven and swim like a swarm of fish into it, so as to have a share of psychological safety.

NATO's unwillingness to accept Russia is also due to differences in geography, politics, history and cultural tradition as well as religious beliefs. While expressing his opposition to Russia's accession, the president of Czech said that although part of Russia's territory is in Europe, it has distinctive features of the Eurasian continent. Whereas Europe-Atlantic civilized region possesses similar culture, political system, values concept and world outlook. So his conclusion was that Russia can forge close cooperation with NATO, but it is not advisable for it to join this organization.

It seems that although Europe and Russia are getting closer to and becoming harmonious with each other, while Europe and the United States are engaging in increasing quarrels and gradually becoming estranged from each other, however, the degree of the close Europe-US relations is far better than Europe-Russian relations.

Therefore, whether in terms of Europe-Russian council or of close partnership, Europe only regards Russia as a neighbor with whom it should and has to maintain close cooperation, and at the same time it must be vigilant, it doesn't want and finds it impossible to treat it as a member of the big family.

By People's Daily Online

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