Bundestag MP: "Bundeswehr has no business near Russian borders"

A member of the German Bundestag representing the Left Party, Aleksandr Neu, speaking to the German public radio, criticized plans to send 600 soldiers of the Bundeswehr to the eastern NATO flank in Lithuania, right on the Russian border. The politician is convinced that for German troops "there is nothing to look for at the border with Russia". Aleksandr Neu negatively assessed the actions of the North-Atlantic Alliance, reacting to Russia's criticism, which in turn was caused by NATO's expansion in the east with threatening speed.

According to the MP, these steps include not only deploying extra battalions in the Baltic Sea, but to a greater extent, deploying of the missile defense systems to Romania and Poland. The MP believes that such actions are dangerously violating the strategic balance between Russia and NATO. Neu stressed that his party has consistently advocated for the withdrawal of the US nuclear bombs from the German territory. However what we see now is that they are being actively modernized instead of it. Speaking about the deployment of Russia's missile systems Iskander-M in Kaliningrad, the Bundestag deputy noted that they are to neutralize the threats associated with the deployment of the missile defense systems in Eastern Europe.

Aleksandr Neu, criticized Russia and NATO for "saber-rattling" and acknowledged that the West took a more aggressive stand in the existing confrontation. In particular, the West puts pressure on the Eastern European countries, forcing them to join NATO. According to the MP, the Alliance pressures Serbia, Montenegro and other countries. Neu categorically refuses to believe in the "fairytale" that the Eastern European countries asked to join the alliance themselves. According to the deputy, the fact that the Western countries have an impact on political stability in the country was proven by the events in Ukraine, when loyal to the West political forces were brought to power after "Maidan".

The MP called for the de-escalation of the relations with Russia and complained that the West had cut many channels of communication with Moscow itself – for example, the NATO-Russia Council or the Petersburg Dialogue. "Fortunately, there are those who represent the interests of our economy and businesses, who still keep open important communication channels with Russia," the politician noted. Alexander Neu also praised efforts of the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to restore a dialogue with Russia.