NATO Seeking to Weaken CIS by Expansion - Russian General
NATO is seeking to “weaken” the Commonwealth of Independent States via a “visible attempt to draw CIS states” into its ranks, but Russia will defend its national interests, General of the Army Yury Baluyevsky, chief of Russia’s general staff, said
on Thursday.

“We are following NATO attempts to involve CIS states in the bloc’s activity and weaken relations with Russia,” he was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.

The general said that Russia would defend its interests, but most likely this did not mean using force.

“No antagonism or ideological contradictions exist at present between Russia and NATO, something that existed between the Warsaw Treaty Organization and the alliance in the Cold War years,” Baluyevsky was quoted by Interfax as saying.

“Present-day relations between Russia and NATO are influenced by remnants of the old way of thinking. We in Russia were quicker to realize that a war between Russia and NATO is not a route that we should seek,” he said.

Russia has no plans to join NATO and believes NATO expansion is a mistake, a diplomatic source told Interfax Thursday commenting on Ukraine’s intentions to join the NATO bloc.