Could NATO Cause A New Cold War?

The situation in the Ukraine continues to be tense as Russian supporting rebels in the East continue to hold their positions and defy the Ukrainian democratically elected government. Russia, despite denials, are equally clearly supporting the rebels militarily. The rocket launcher that mistakenly was targeted at a civilian passenger aircraft was Russian and the evidence that Russian troops are actually inside the Ukrainian border is almost overwhelming. Therefore, if a new ‘Cold War’ is on the horizon then Russia must be to blame. Or are they?

Russia was promised by NATO, so they claim, that there would never be a ‘NATO state’ bordering Russia other than the one’s that already did many moons ago. Well, actually, only Norway bordered Russia or, if you like, the old Soviet Union as a member of NATO and that border was miniscule. Just the furthest north west bit of Norway rubbing up against the very furthest north east bit of Russia.

After the break up of the Soviet Union, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia joined Poland in NATO. I can quite understand why Russia might have viewed this with some alarm. After all, Russia is Russia and they aren’t a western democracy. We, in the west, might disapprove of this but, ultimately, unless Russia is threatening us in some way it is, frankly, none of our damn business.

President Putin insists that NATO promised not to increase it’s influence in countries bordering Russia and have broken this promise. There seems to be a dispute over whether this promise was ever made but Putin insists it was. It probably doesn’t matter that much whether the ‘promise’ was made by NATO or Putin’s just making it up but, the bottom line is, if NATO keep expanding towards Russia as they clearly are and have then Russia isn’t going to like it. Not exactly ‘rocket science’ that one is it?

Now, ‘kicking up a stink’ about the poor souls lost when the Ukrainian rebels shot down a passenger aircraft is all well and good and quite right. Hopefully, regardless of anything else, the perpetrators will, one day, be brought to justice and suffer the consequences of their actions but, this has nothing what so ever to do with the truth of the matter.

The inescapable ‘truth of the matter’ is this. NATO is accepting into their membership countries immediately bordering Russia. Russia feel threatened by this and I can’t fathom out how anybody with even half a brain couldn’t understand this. NATO must understand this if I do or am I merely cleverer than NATO? I doubt it.

The solution? Stop accepting into NATO states bordering Russia. By all means inform Russia that a Russian invasion of states such as Latvia would draw the wrath of NATO but point out to them that, in the interests of peaceful harmony with Russia, we, NATO, have no interest in surrounding them with ‘NATO states’ – as we currently are.

I suspect the Ukrainian desire to join the European Union as well as NATO just about pushed Putin and Russia one step too far and, whilst I certainly don’t support the type of regime in Russia I can understand their reaction. If I was Putin I would react as he has and say ‘ENOUGH!’

And don’t forget, Georgia has also applied for NATO membership. The Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary are already NATO states. All of them former Soviet states.

What is needed – and has been sorely lacking – is a bit of ‘common sense’. Your enemy becomes, if not your friend then, at least, not exactly your enemy any more and what do you do? Surround him with ‘your new friends’ that used to be his ‘friends’ and expect him to shrug and say ‘Fine’?

I’m sorry but, if a new ‘Cold War’ is indeed starting I won’t blame Russia. I will blame NATO.

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