Nato's 'unfriendly expansion' worries Russia

A senior Russian MP warned today of a growing rift between Nato and Moscow as the military alliance expands to include seven former Soviet-dominated nations.

US President George Bush was today to formally welcome the new members into the 55-year-old alliance, set up during the Cold War to shield the West from Soviet military might.

While Russia’s relationship with Nato has improved in recent years and the former foes work together to combat threats such as terrorism, Moscow is wary about Nato’s creeping proximity.

“Nato’s steps have had an unfriendly character toward Russia,” said Konstantin Kosachyov, head of the international affairs committee in Russia’s lower house of parliament.

Of particular concern to Russia is the entrance into Nato of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. All are former Soviet republics which just 15 years ago were home to more than 100,000 Red Army soldiers, but today have eagerly turned West.

Nato has agreed to include three Baltic states under its air defence shield, planning to enforce it by stationing four F-16 fighter planes in Lithuania. The planes will make regular flights near Russia’s border, close enough to conduct reconnaissance.

“If significant Nato military bases appear near Russia’s borders and change the balance of forces in this region, then we can’t exclude the possibility that Russia will consider the possibility of taking corresponding action so that the balance is not breached,” Kosachyov said.

Asked what those measures might encompass, he said boosting Russia’s own military deployments in north-west Russia – but he added this was a development no one wanted.

A former Russian Air Force commander, General Anatoly Kornukov, suggested a harsher response: shooting down Nato planes.

“If (a plane) violates the air space, shoot it down without ceremony and be done with it,” he said. “A warplane is a warplane … After all, they are not flying for their own pleasure.”

Nato has tried to reassure Russia that the expansion is not directed against Moscow. US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Russia should not view the bigger Nato as a threat, but as a partner.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Russia is not threatened by the deployment of the four planes. But Russian concerns are still expected to dominate Friday’s planned Nato-Russia meeting in Brussels.

Topping Russia’s list of demands is that the new Nato member states sign up to the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, which regulates the deployment of warplanes, tanks and other heavy non-nuclear weapons.

Kosachyov said that Nato gave Russia assurances that only ”essential, usual weapons” – not nuclear – will be placed on the territory of new members.

“But what essential, usual weapons are, no one knows,” he said.

Russia is also concerned about the European Union’s expansion eastward on Thursday to include 10 new nations. The EU and Russia have a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement but Moscow has balked at extending it to the new nations, fearing it would lose trade and travel rights.