For many years NATO attempted to use dialogue as the basis for its partnership with Russia. The Alliance operated in the spirit of trust and transparency. But this trust was, too often, abused: Russia disregarded the principles laid down in the 1997 NATO–Russia Founding Act; withdrew from the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty; violated the Helsinki Act; bullied its neighbors, and tried to block Central European democracies from becoming NATO members.
And still the Alliance continued to hope for a constructive approach from Moscow. It agreed to work with Russia on missile defense, and, after Moscow’s military aggression in Georgia in …read more
Source: European Voice
