NATO Chief: Russia’s New Military Doctrine Is Outdated
The Moscow Times reports that NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that Russia's new military doctrine is outdated and "does not reflect the real world." The doctrine, approved last month, identifies NATO's expansion east to Russia's borders as a "main external danger" and also sees US plans to create an anti-missile shield in Europe as a national security concern. But Rasmussen said NATO is not a threat to Russia and will "never invade Russia."
Rasmussen said that Russia's military doctrine represents "a very outdated notion of the nature and role of NATO, but we can't let this hold the whole relationship with Russia to ransom." He added: "The best reassurance of all [for Eastern Europe] would be to engage Russia in a true strategic partnership." Rasmussen said Russia itself could theoretically qualify for NATO membership but added that he did not see this as "realistic."
Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that on March 13, President Barak Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev moved closer to agreement on the expired Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which would cut the active nuclear arsenals of both countries by more than one-quarter. In a statement following the telephone conversation, the Kremlin said: "It is now possible to talk about specific dates for the submission of the draft START treaty for signing by the heads of state." Mike Hammer, spokesman for The White House, said that the leaders "had a good conversation" about "the progress and consensus reached" in Geneva negotiations.