Russia assails NATO's move to deploy troops near its border

[uhnope]

Source: AP

BRUSSELS (AP) — Russia's ambassador to NATO warned Thursday that the alliance's decision to station additional forces near the Russian borders will undermine European security.

Alexander Grushko's comments Thursday followed a meeting of NATO defense ministers, who agreed to deploy four multinational battalions on a rotational basis to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The allies also discussed establishing a Romanian-led multinational "framework brigade" of ground troops to help defend the Black Sea area.

"Those measures significantly erode the quality of regional security, in fact turning central and eastern Europe into an arena of military confrontation," Grushko said. He added that NATO's decision "directly infringes on our legitimate security interests" and "won't be left unanswered." The alliance has halted cooperation with Russia amid the Ukrainian crisis and held exercises in the Baltics to reassure its eastern members worried about Russia's intentions.
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More than 9,300 people have been killed in fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, which erupted in April 2014 weeks after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/48339a71c97e4cd8b40303a850f99ed5/russia-assails-natos-move-deploy-troops-near-its-border

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Cry me a river. Putin chose the path of conflict & anti-democracy long ago and this is the result. The west opened itself to Russia & Putin slammed the door to become a warmongering hate-based dictator. This is what he gets.

[BadtotheboneBob]

1. Legitimate security interests?

Oh, please, Mr. Minister, just stop with that nonsense. Nobody wants to invade Russia, least of all those small European nations who once were under your boot and now exist nervously in your immense, intimidating shadow. They would rather trade with you and provide products far superior to what you can produce yourselves and much in demand by your citizens. I also find it very significant that those two historically 'Neutral' nations during 'The Cold War', Finland and Sweden, are not only in current defensive cooperation with NATO, but are actually edging closer to becoming members, particularly Sweden. Are they doing that because they want to attack Russia? Hell, no! They are doing it in fear of your latent neo-imperialistic ambitions. NATO doesn't want to go into Russia, NATO wants to keep you out! Why is that concept so difficult for you to understand, Mr. Minister? And why are you so afraid of four (4 - Wow!) battalions (maybe 4,000 troops total) of a multi-national European nature that are in the Baltic nations and Poland merely to say, "Stay out!", why?

[newthinking]

2. They are primarily concerned about the nuclear weapons that come along with the "troops"

Everyone is open that this amount of troops is not a deterrent.

Nuclear weapons on their border is not really a deterrent either, it is a threat to their existence and a destabilizing factor for all of us.

[BadtotheboneBob]

5. Where are these supposed weapons located?

...and how do you know this?

[Cayenne]

3. NATO is planning the 'liberation' of Crimea

[BadtotheboneBob]

4. And you know this how?

Please provide references...