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Interview with Ambassador Alexander Grushko, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to NATO, Euronews TV Channel
Interview with Ambassador Alexander Grushko, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to NATO, Euronews TV Channel
4 September 2014
Euronews: “Mr Grushko, let’s talk about the NATO summit in Wales which will be discussing Russia. What do you think about the fact Russia itself was not invited?”
Russian Ambassador to NATO Alexander Gruschko: “There was not really a question of organising a joint summit. But after the NATO countries unilaterally withdrew in April from the cooperation projects with Russia, this question lost its relevance completely. Let them discuss their problems between themselves.”
Euronews: “How will Russia take NATO’s plans to increase its presence in Eastern Europe which will probably be announced in Wales?”
Gruschko: “Absolutely negatively. We don’t hide our attitude. We have already expressed many times our concern about recent increased activity along the Russian borders, on the ground, in the air and in the sea. This worries us for many reasons. First of all, there is no ground for increased NATO activities.”
Euronews: “But Eastern European countries express concern about their own security because of Russia’s behaviour in Ukraine, which they consider as aggression. Is it not justified?”
Gruschko: “These worries are completely baseless. We have proven many times that all these so called facts produced by NATO and other European capitals are not really facts, but fabricated documents. We are not concentrating troops, neither movement of military hardware which could be considered as destabilising. Generally speaking, I think this attitude is largely related to phobias, not to real security concerns. And phobias can not be treated with deploying tanks and additional combat forces. That’s why many countries should really look at the problems which exist in their own societies.”
Euronews: “Some of the participants of the Wales summit have already said that Russia consistently violates the Founding Act. That’s why they don’t feel obliged to observe it themselves. Is this document important to you?”
Gruschko: “In this situation, NATO takes a course which could seriously weaken regional and global security. On one hand, NATO begins military preparations against Russia. On the other hand, NATO reduces its own ability to cooperate with Russia over the problems which NATO cannot efficiently deal with on its own without interaction with international players including Russia.”
Russian Ambassador to NATO Alexander Gruschko: “There was not really a question of organising a joint summit. But after the NATO countries unilaterally withdrew in April from the cooperation projects with Russia, this question lost its relevance completely. Let them discuss their problems between themselves.”
Euronews: “How will Russia take NATO’s plans to increase its presence in Eastern Europe which will probably be announced in Wales?”
Gruschko: “Absolutely negatively. We don’t hide our attitude. We have already expressed many times our concern about recent increased activity along the Russian borders, on the ground, in the air and in the sea. This worries us for many reasons. First of all, there is no ground for increased NATO activities.”
Euronews: “But Eastern European countries express concern about their own security because of Russia’s behaviour in Ukraine, which they consider as aggression. Is it not justified?”
Gruschko: “These worries are completely baseless. We have proven many times that all these so called facts produced by NATO and other European capitals are not really facts, but fabricated documents. We are not concentrating troops, neither movement of military hardware which could be considered as destabilising. Generally speaking, I think this attitude is largely related to phobias, not to real security concerns. And phobias can not be treated with deploying tanks and additional combat forces. That’s why many countries should really look at the problems which exist in their own societies.”
Euronews: “Some of the participants of the Wales summit have already said that Russia consistently violates the Founding Act. That’s why they don’t feel obliged to observe it themselves. Is this document important to you?”
Gruschko: “In this situation, NATO takes a course which could seriously weaken regional and global security. On one hand, NATO begins military preparations against Russia. On the other hand, NATO reduces its own ability to cooperate with Russia over the problems which NATO cannot efficiently deal with on its own without interaction with international players including Russia.”