For a person who has worked in foreign policy for more than forty-five years, like me, Colombia's position regarding NATO is clear, with Bogotá being a global partner of this Alliance. However, I am deeply convinced that many Colombians will be interested in knowing Russia's position towards this Bloc, which, I believe, constitutes an obsolete structure in the multipolar world that is currently being formed.
On April 4, NATO will turn 75 years old. The Alliance was created in 1949 with the aim of, as its first Secretary General Hasting Ismay said, “to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans below.” The Bloc played a key role during the Cold War. After completing it, he lived a long period of searching for new tasks.
In recent decades, NATO dedicated itself to carrying out “peacekeeping operations” and “humanitarian interventions.” The campaign in Yugoslavia claimed the lives of some 1,700 Yugoslavs, including 400 children. That of Libya – 40 thousand. The war adventures in Iraq caused the death of some 268 – 295 thousand people. And the war in Afghanistan – 572 thousand. In short, if NATO had not wanted to “bring democracy” to third countries, we would not have had a million (!) deaths.
This “search for self” failed. The North Atlantic Block brought destruction, suffering and death to third countries. Little by little, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, even under pressure from Eastern European neophytes, the Alliance began to return to its key task of the Cold War times – containing a rival that have comparable forces. They chose Russia to be.
However, Russia has never threatened and does not threaten any country in the Alliance. Quite the opposite. It is NATO that is moving military infrastructure towards Russia, creating threats to our security. The number of members of this Alliance in the last three decades grew from 12 to 32 in five waves of expansion.
Russia has never threatened and does not threaten any country in the Alliance. Quite the opposite. It is NATO that is moving military infrastructure towards Russia, creating threats to our security.
We look at some figures. In 2022, Washington spent $811 billion on defense, while Russia spent $72 billion. And I remember that the USA is one of the 32 members of NATO. Imagine the total spending of the Block! I am not talking about the real threat of an eventual total destruction of life on planet Earth. Do you really think that Russia wants a reciprocally suicidal war with NATO, also taking this ratio into account?
For many years, Russia had tried to build equal cooperation with the Alliance. In 2002, the Russia-Nato Council was created, which should have constituted an “all-season” scenario for settling all types of disputes. There were mutually beneficial cooperation projects. However, the Alliance did not perceive Russia as a full partner. In April 2014, the NATO Council ended practical cooperation and political dialogue with Russia.
The New NATO Strategic Concept of 2022, approved at the Madrid Summit, defined Russia as “the most important and direct threat to the security of the Allies and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.” NATO pressure against Russia is being exerted in all geographical directions and operational environments (land, air, sea, extraterrestrial space and cyberspace). The Bloc actively supports and supports the conflict in Ukraine, proclaiming the need to “defeat Russia on the battlefield.” It is precisely due to reckless actions by NATO that increases its military potential in the West, intensifies war maneuvers and the general militarization of Europe, the risk of a direct conflict between Russia and the Alliance grows.
Would all of this correspond to the security interests of the people of the NATO member countries? Or are they rather doing it under pressure from Washington to further increase the gigantic profits of the US military-industrial complex?
For us the answer is obvious.
NIKOLAY TAVDUMADZE – AMBASSADOR OF RUSSIA IN COLOMBIA
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