Russia-NATO Update is a new monthly review by the MEMRI Russian Media Studies Project, covering the latest news on Russia-NATO relations from the Russian and East European media.
Cartoons Of The Month
Vitaly Podvitsky, Ria.ru,
September 9, 2016.
Uncle Sam is violently banging at Russia's door:
Uncle Sam: You are all savages, inhospitable; you provoke me all the time!
Quote Of The Month
Chairman Of The Duma's Defense Committee: 'My Advice [To NATO] Is To Return To The Negotiating Table With Russia...Otherwise NATO Is Heading For An Imminent Collapse'
US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford recently said: "I would tell you I believe our center of gravity as a nation, through a security lens, is the network of alliances. Russia is trying to erode that." Commenting on Dunford's statements, the Chairman of the Russian State Duma's Defense Committee Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov said: "It's funny when a colossus with feet of clay complains that someone is undermining its unity...Russia has never pursued and does not pursue this goal, on the contrary, we have always talked about the need to build normal relations with NATO...In 1954, the USSR applied for membership in the alliance, but the bid was rejected, and then the Soviet Union, realizing that a pike lives in the lake to keep all fish awake, created a counterbalance to NATO - the Warsaw Pact Organization...The statement by General Dunford testifies to the elemental fear of NATO's leadership in the face of problems experienced by the NATO member countries...You will find that most of the people in both Europe and the United States do not support the aggressive policy of the alliance. They do not want to sacrifice their fathers and sons in the planet's hotspots of tension, which were created by NATO itself by its ill-considered actions...My advice is to return to the negotiating table with Russia and work out a consolidated stance with it, otherwise NATO is heading for an imminent collapse."
(Tass.com, August 24)
The Chairman of the Russian State Duma's
Defense Committee, Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov. (Source: Sobesednik.ru)
In the News:
Lavrov-Stoltenberg Meeting
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly session in New York. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry's website, Lavrov and Stoltenberg discussed current Russia-NATO relations, focusing on ensuring air traffic safety in the Baltics, and a number of other current international issues. The Russian news agency TASS also reported that Lavrov and Stoltenberg discussed the modality of a meeting of experts from Russian, NATO member-states and regional countries on flights over the Baltic Sea.
(Mid.ru, September 22; Tass.com, September 22)
Lavrov meeting with
Stoltenberg in New York. (Source: Mid.ru, September 22)
Ukraine-Russia Relations
On July 15, the Russian daily Vedomosti published an article by a Russian military expert, Ruslan Pukhov, about Russian military planning objectives. In his article, Pukhov explains that the concern exhibited by NATO members about the Baltic States' security is misplaced, as Russia did not take any significant measure to bolster its military presence in the Kaliningrad region bordering on the Baltics. On the contrary, Russian forces were radically reduced in the area.
Pukhov stressed that Russia avoids being drawn into a direct military rivalry with the West, but concentrates its forces around its main and fundamental security issue: Ukraine. Pukhov wrote that Russia is creating three strong army groups on its border with Ukraine, which are capable, if necessary, of launching a quick strike in the direction of Kiev. Therefore, Pukhov explained, current Russian military planning is divorced from any 'threat from NATO' or 'threat to NATO', but is geared towards creating a powerful force on the Ukrainian border, "which will allow the Kremlin to expand the range of possible [military] force options to the Ukrainian situation."
(See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6603, Russian Military Expert: 'Russia Is Creating Three Strong Army Groups On The Border With Ukraine... Capable... Of Launching A Quick Strike In The Direction Of Kiev', September 9, 2016)
Lavrov: 'I Don't See Any Prerequisites For The New Edition Of The Cold War To Become A Reality'
Speaking at the MGIMO University, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said:
"I don't see any prerequisites for the new edition of the Cold War to become a reality...Our American colleagues have developed a genetic code whereby the most important thing is that they decide everything themselves. But life is more complicated than a genetic code. So I hope that in the historically foreseeable future they will eventually come to understand the need to be in sync with the objective trends of global development."
"[We] are ready to resume normal full-fledged relations with the European Union and the United States, but only on an equal basis without any attempts to turn these relations into a one-way street."
"[Western partners] operate on the premise that they 'have been calling the shots' in this world for several centuries now (which is, in fact, true), and want to continue to dictate solutions to all problems from their own perspective. In fact, they claim to own 'the monopoly on the truth' and use, to this end, a wide range of mostly illegitimate coercion methods and unethical means of pressure on their partners ranging from rewriting history and conducting powerful and fairly aggressive information campaigns to imposing unilateral sanctions, sponsoring coups, fomenting regional conflicts, and even engaging in direct military interventions."
"We refer to our foreign policy as a 'multi-vector' foreign policy as we strive to cover all the bases while maintaining our independence, because Russia as a country, no matter what name it had throughout history, has always pursued a path of its own, which is what it is all about. We promote a policy which does not split the international community but rather consolidates it; we promote a peace-loving policy, which implies resolving problems through political and diplomatic methods and based on international law."
"The situation in Ukraine is very complicated. The crisis in that country has truly become a catalyst of processes that have laid bare the imperfections of the security structure in Europe and the Euro-Atlantic region as a whole and the systemic flaws of this structure, which could not be reformed for many years. The proposals that we put forward came up against the egoism of political elites in a number of states, which clearly sought to obtain geostrategic advantages at the expense of other countries' interests, grossly violating the solemn declarations that were made in the 1990s at the OSCE and between Russia and NATO at the highest level, namely that security is indivisible and no one [country] will strengthen its security at the expense of the security of others. These political obligations were grossly violated and continue to be violated. Our proposals to upgrade the status of these obligations from ordinary political declarations to legally binding obligations were rejected out of hand. I hope that our partners remember this. If they forgot, we will, of course, remind them about it. It will no longer be business as usual either with the US or with the EU, let alone with NATO."
(Mid.ru, September 1)
Vitaly Podvitsky, Vk.com/13studiya,
September 22, 2016.
The World is a US' prisoner.
Russia-West Relations: Pushkov: 'The Level Of Fierce Collision...Is Higher Than It Used To Be During The Cold War'
Speaking at the international forum "In Unity with Russia", Alexey Pushkov, chair of the Duma's international affairs committee, said: "As for the possibility of American nuclear weapons transfer from Turkey to Romania ...many Eastern European countries discuss that question. In Poland in particular the minister of defense raised the question of deploying US nukes in the country. The Russian position regarding this is quite simple. We have always said that countries which choose to host American nuclear weapons - countries in a close proximity to our borders - naturally increase their degree of vulnerability...Naturally, this will be a part of our operational planning - thus the governments, which make such decisions, bear responsibility for the consequences including [the consequences] for their own security".
(Ria.ru, August 28)
Pushkov added that the current Western demonization of Russia surpasses the Cold War era: "It's not just about 'the Cold War' - though some forms of Western foreign policies do recall the 'Cold War'". He explained that it's not a Cold War per se, since back then there was a collision between economic and political-ideological systems - and this is not happening now. Pushkov then explained: "Nevertheless the level of fierce collision - especially from our Western counterparts' side - is higher than it used to be during the 'Cold War' years...We have never faced such a level of anti-Russia demonization campaign. We have never faced a demonization campaign against Russian leadership at such a level. Things never reached the stage of personal sanctions I would call it 'a campaign of international McCarthyism'".
(Ria.ru, August 28)
Speaking at the same forum, MP Vyacheslav Tihonov told the audience that the situation is much worse than during the Cold War: "During the Cold War, American units, NATO units were not quartered in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. There has never been so thick a flow of lies and disinformation concerning Russia - it's happening not because we are doing something wrong, but because Russia has arisen from its knees".
(Ria.ru, August 28)
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin called Russia "the fist on the West's throat". Rogozin said: "When they say that the sanctions are temporary in nature - that's untrue. Anti-Russian sanctions will be present forever as long as Russia exists - because we are like the fist in their throat with our appraisal of life our independence, huge rich territory and unbreakable people." He went on that the West "always hindered, is hindering and will hinder Russia's power, will and independence."
(Ria.ru, August 28)
Drills
The Russian Baltic Fleet's coastal troops launched drills in the Kaliningrad Region. Russian Baltic Fleet's spokesman Roman Martov said. "About 1,000 servicemen, over 70 items of military and special hardware, including BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles, T-72 tanks, Akatsiya and Gvozdika self-propelled artillery howitzers, Tunguska air defense artillery systems, Grad multiple launch rocket systems, as well as fifth-generation communications equipment are used in the exercise." The drills will last a few days and will involve both offensive and defensive actions.
(Tass.ru, September 6)
Strategic exercises Kavkaz-2016 were launched in Russia's Southern Military District. The Defense Ministry's press-service said: "The Kavkaz-2016 exercise is the final phase of a package of command staff and special practices and drills for military command bodies and snap checks of troops' combat readiness due in 2016. It will be held at test sites of the Southern Military District, the Black and Caspian Seas on September 5-10... Taking part in the exercise there are about 12,500 troops, aviation, combat vehicles and naval vessels".
The Russian news agency TASS reported that one of the special tasks assigned the Kavkaz-2016 exercise will be testing new types of weapons and military equipment. It will also practice mobilization readiness and territorial defense measures, and employ aviation and the forces of the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian flotilla.
(Tass.com, September 8)
According to the Russian media outlet Rbc.ru, the Russian Ministry of Defense is planning to spend 130 billion rubles (around 2 billion USD) for weapons modernization programs - this includes the first 100 T-14 Armata tanks, 6 "Varshavyanka" type submarines, and T-50 PAKFA (the fifth generation fighter jet).
(Rbc.ru, September 7)
During a snap inspection the Russian Ministry of Defense runs tests in other ministries, the Central Bank as well as in other executive authorities. All the authorities involved are expected to test their ability to function under "war time constrains". The drills involve calling up reserves, and drawing military and heavy equipment from warehouses in the Southern and Central Commands and in the Northern Fleet.
(Ria.ru, August 29)
During the same snap check over 50 warplanes have delivered a massive air strike against a notional enemy at the Ashuluk training range near Astrakhan in south Russia in a combat readiness check, the press office of Russia's Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.
"The crews of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft of the Southern Military District have accomplished a massive air strike with rockets against ground targets at the Ashuluk training range near Astrakhan in a snap combat readiness check," the ministry said.
(Tass.com, August 30)
An additional set of drills involves another 14 diverse firing ranges. Ina statement obtained by the Russian news agency TASS, the Defense Ministry said: "Tactical and special tactics exercises are being conducted at 14 combined-arms training ranges of the Southern Military District with live-fire, the rehearsals of troops' practical actions and training to counter a notional enemy's subversive and reconnaissance groups, control exercises in the training subjects such as driving combat vehicles and tanks, firing, tactical, engineering, technical, medical and airborne drills".
At the Kapustin Yar training range near Astrakhan in south Russia, the troops will practice repelling a notional enemy's massive air strike while sailors in the Black and Caspian Seas will destroy a group of enemy warships. Also, marine infantry will practice boarding large amphibious assault ships and landing on unprepared terrain.
TASS reported that 4000 personnel and 1500 units of combat equipment are involved in this series of drills. (Tass.com, August 30; Tass.ru, August 29)
It has also been reported that during the snap inspection, Russian MIG29 and Su-34 aircraft have located and intercepted targets in the stratosphere at an altitude above 11 kilometers
(Tass.ru, August 29)
During the same set of drills in the Southern Command, the MOD is conducting a penetration test for the Southern Command's air-defense units. Flying at various altitudes, more than 30 different aircraft - including long range aviation - are simulating the "red team" role.
(Tass.ru, August 27; Ria.ru, August 30)
