Russia Demands Cancellation of Baltic Defense Plans
Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's ambassador to NATO, has demanded that the alliance cancel plans it drew up earlier this year to defend the Baltic states and Poland from an attack by Russia.
The ambassador's comments came after details of the plans, outlined in the US diplomatic cables acquired by Wikileaks, were reported in the international media.
"We must receive guarantees that such plans will be annulled and that Russia is not an enemy of NATO," said Rogozin, quoted by The Moscow Times in reference to the Associated Press.
Rogozin said that despite official denials by NATO officials, the plan was clearly aimed at his country. "Against whom else could such a defense be intended? Against Sweden, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, against polar bears, or against the Russian bear?" he said.
The ambassador said that he would bring up the defense plan at the December 8 meeting of the NATO-Russia Council.
Officially NATO and the US refer to Russia as a "partner" of the alliance, and Western members had for years resisted requests by the Baltic states and Poland to put a concrete defense plan to paper.
However, recent aggressive gestures by Russia including its 2008 invasion of Georgia and military exercises held last year simulating an invasion of the Baltics increased the pressure by Baltic governments to draw up an explicit defense strategy.