Russia warns against putting Ukraine and Georgia on track to NATO

Source

MOSCOW: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sternly warned the West on Thursday that putting Ukraine and Georgia on a track to NATO membership would hurt U.S.-Russian relations badly, Russian news reports said.

The alliance is set to consider giving the two former Soviet nations a roadmap to membership, the so-called "membership action plan," at its April 2-4 alliance summit in Bucharest, Romania. Russia has staunchly opposed NATO's eastward expansion, and Lavrov said Moscow had explicitly warned Washington that the move would seriously hurt bilateral ties.

"We have confirmed to the U.S. that the implementation of these plans will have the gravest consequences for our relations," Lavrov was quoted by Russian news reports as saying.

What's the big deal? They are not Soviet states anymore, so Russia should mind its own business and not meddle with that of others. If Ukraine and Georgia want to become NATO member they should be allowed to try.

Edit:

I might add that it looks like the European Union and the US are trying to isolate Russia as much as possible. In Europe only Belarus (direct bordering Russia) and Serbia are left to have very strong ties with Russia.




The following countries are expected to join NATO in the following years:
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Montenegro
Ukraine
Georgia
Macedonia
Croatia
Albania

It looks like there will be a battle coming to win the support of the energy rich countries of central Europe.



[edit on 21-3-2008 by Mdv2]

With the missile defense shield and the support of rogue and regenade states, Russian long distance bomber patrols, it looks the cold war has come to life again.

Source

Russia: US arming ex-terrorists

Moscow - Russia's firebrand envoy to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation said Thursday that US military aid to Kosovo amounted to arming "former terrorists".

Responding to news of US President George W Bush approval of military aid to Kosovo, Russia's ambassador to Nato Dmitry Rogozin warned that such a move could lead to "new terrorist clashes in the Balkans".