NATO, Russia, and the Enemy Wanted
The following is an exclusive translation from the German press on the most popular Russia story of the week. Read a summary on our German blog here. Concept of the enemy wanted With the prospect of Ukraine and Georgia for NATO membership Russia ably understands how to split old and new Europe By Klaus-Helge Donath, Die Tageszeitung, April 2, 2008 Munich still gives NATO officials the shivers. At the 2007 Munich Security Conference, President Vladimir Putin gave the West a vociferous dressing down. The Kremlin boss formulated what had long ago become the guiding principle of Russian foreign policy: controlled confrontation with the West. The NATO leadership this time refused to tolerate such crassness, and the Kremlin is said to have given assurances of its good behaviour.