Word: nato
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...There is also, perhaps, some truth to the statement by Dmitry Rogozin, the Russian envoy to NATO, that NATO would be wiser to hold the exercises “in some psychiatric hospital” than in Georgia, given the current state of affairs. Protests calling for Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to resign have rocked Tbilisi, for the past month, and the ranks of the protestors have grown to encompass members of the government. One of these, a former parliamentary speaker, even declared to a crowd of protestors that Georgia “is not a democratic country...
...maneuvers is to demonstrate NATO’s solidarity with Georgia and its willingness to defend Georgia against Russia, if need be. Given the suggestions that the August war was at least partly the fault of Saakashvili’s recklessness, however, it seems likely that any suggestion that NATO will come to his aid will only make him bolder, particularly in the face of domestic calls for the return of the breakaway provinces...
...Furthermore, there is no reason to expect that NATO will come to Georgia’s aid with any more enthusiasm than it did in August. NATO condemned Russia’s recognition of the breakaway regions and last September formed a basis for cooperation with the NATO-Georgia Commission. However, supporting Georgia, particularly in a struggle with Russia for territories the rest of the world considers to be relatively minor, would not only be a political disaster for NATO members, but might risk direct war between NATO and Russia. With NATO decreasing its support for the ongoing...
...Calling off the exercises after they have already begun might appear to be a show of weakness by NATO, but such an action would be infinitely better than provoking Russia into another war. Even if the exercises cannot be called off at this point, however, they are indicative of a larger problem in NATO’s approach to relations with Russia. While NATO members should not give in to Russia’s every demand, deliberately angering Russia, as former President Bush did last April by supporting Georgia and Ukraine’s unrealistic bids for NATO membership...
...Declaring its support for Georgia is a reasonable step for NATO, but demonstrating it in such a provocative manner—especially considering the current state of relations between NATO and Russia—is simply foolish. Since NATO is not prepared to—and should not—throw its full support behind Georgia in another war with Russia, then it should be careful that Russia doesn’t call its bluff...