By Vestnik Kavkaza
Today at the fourth International Conference on International Security, Sergei Shoygu, the Defense Minister of Russia, has expressed his concerns that the construction of stability which has been built after World War II is being given a lurch. According to him, the lurch is reflected in the fact that “some countries which believe that they are winners in the Cold War are trying to impose their will on others. They freely interpret the basic norms of international law, broadly use double standards, brassily interfere in the internal affairs of independent states, and use force. Unilateral decisions in the sphere of military security and plans to reach absolute military superiority contradict the laws and interests of other countries; they are vicious for global stabilization.”
As a result, Shoygu said, a crisis situation has formed in relations between Russia and the European countries. It is impossible to establish a united space of peace, security, and stability in the European-Atlantic region. “The idea of signing the agreement on European security, which was initiated by our country, wasn’t supported. Instead of this, the outdated scheme of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe is obtruded. Other documents which are aimed at confidence-building in the military sphere between the European countries – the Vienna Treaty and the Treaty on Open Skies – do not fulfill their functions,” Shoygu said.
According to him, the European media hypes up theses on the necessary containment of Russia, a growth of the Russian military threat which needs immediate reaction by NATO, as they say. “There are attempts to draw the Asian and South American countries into the anti-Russian campaign. Some Western countries call for international isolation of our country as their direct goal. The thesis is quite simple – either you are with us against Russia or you are against us,” the minister thinks.
He also is dissatisfied with the methods used by NATO countries, primarily the US, for strengthening their influence in the post-Soviet space: “To achieve its interests, Washington and its closest allies employ various instruments. They invest money, issue grants, provide them with free military-technical aid. By accusing Russia of annexing Crimea and interfering in Ukrainian affairs, the Western emissaries threaten our neighbors and partners that they will be the next victims of Moscow’s aggression. The main goal is to separate the countries which are connected with Russia culturally and historically from our country.”
Speaking about the struggle against terrorist threats, Shoygu criticized the states which “establish and encourage terrorist groups for fulfillment of their own goals. In the future such organizations will get out of the control of their supervisors and turn into a global problem of security.”
“Of course, we can continue existing in the context of confrontation, the force dictat, ignoring international laws and the national interests of countries. However, we suggest another path. This is the path of multilateral cooperation, based on the principle of equal and indivisible security. We should find such solutions to the difficult problems of international security, which would rely on the balance of interests and compromises… We could talk about improvement of mutual understanding and confidence through regular contacts and dialogue, including development of existing multilateral consultative mechanisms,” the head of the Russian Defense Ministry thinks.
