Vershbow: Russia, in contrast to NATO, increased defence spending by 50%

NATO is not seeking an arms race with Russia, while Moscow was doing in the last few years, leaving to the member countries of the Commonwealth of alternatives, said on the first day of the week Deputy Secretary General of NATO Alexander Vershbow.

" We do not want an arms race, while Russia during the last period of time has increased its defence spending by 50 % on the background of the fact that NATO was reduced, " said Vershbow during the video-conference from Brussels on the results of the CIS summit in Wales.

He said that by adopting the report on the deployment of advanced rapid reaction forces, " NATO is not engaged in aggression." But Russia has taken in recent months appropriate steps, which left us with no other alternative, " said Vershbow.

according to his statement that " Russia's aggression in Ukraine, continued intervention in the Affairs of Ukraine is of great cohesion of the member countries of the Commonwealth.

The member countries of the NATO conference in Wales adopted a plan to strengthen the collective defence of the Commonwealth and agreed on the parameters of new rapid reaction force in response to Russia's policy toward Ukraine. Units of the rapid reaction forces in Eastern Europe will be reduced to several thousand soldiers. Russia's envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko called destructive NATO plan to increase military preparedness.

in early April, the head of the NATO foreign Ministers ceased practical civil and military cooperation with Russia because of the position of the Russian capital in Ukraine and the Crimea, But decided to save the contacts in the framework of the Council Russia-NATO Council at ambassadorial level and above. At the end of June, the Ministers of Commonwealth countries have extended this decision.

Russia before the crisis in Ukraine noted the unprecedented growth of the activities of NATO and the United States on its borders. Moscow has also criticized the plan for the 2nd half of September exercise involving the United States, Georgia, Moldova and 12 other countries in Western Ukraine. Upon written request of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, these exercises will only help the tension in the region. The U.S. state Department, for its part, said that he hoped only to strengthen stability in the outcome of the exercise.


sections: Politics