Putin： neither cold war nor retreat (Figure)

　　

　　On April 4th, in Bucharest, Romania, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a press conference after the NATO-Russia Council meeting. Putin spoke positively of the meeting as a whole, but at the same time he once again expressed his dissatisfaction on controversial issues such as NATO expansion. Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Jinquan photo

　　Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the 4th that Russia’s relations with the West will not return to the Cold War period, but Russia will not shrink from the strategic security issues brought about by the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

　　"direct threat"

　　Putin held a 90-minute meeting with NATO leaders attending the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Bucharest, Romania. After the meeting, Putin held a separate press conference to bombard the core security issues such as NATO’s eastward expansion and the European missile defense plan.

　　Leaders of NATO member countries decided on the 3rd to formally invite Balkan countries Croatia and Albania to join NATO. Out of concern for Russia, NATO temporarily refused to admit Ukraine and Georgia into NATO’s "Action Plan for Member States", but vaguely stated that Russia’s two neighboring countries would "one day" join NATO.

　　Putin warned at the news conference that NATO’s approach to the Russian border was a "direct threat" to Russian national security. "Powerful groups appearing on our border will be regarded by Russia as a direct security threat," he said, adding that the statement that NATO expansion is not aimed at Russia cannot "convince us".

　　NATO said that the eastward expansion will contribute to the stability and democracy of the former Soviet republics. Putin accused this statement of being "absurd and exaggerated."

　　In response to the US missile defense system plan for Eastern Europe, Putin once again questioned the US statement that the plan was aimed at Iran at the closed meeting that day. "No one really thinks that Iran dares to attack the United States," a delegate quoted Putin as saying. "It is wiser to try to make Iran more transparent and predictable than to push Iran into a corner."

　　There will be no "cold war"

　　Putin complained that after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia gradually withdrew peacefully from Eastern Europe, and Russia "certainly expected some returns, but the returns did not appear". On the contrary, some NATO members are still trying to "demonize" Russia.

　　Putin questioned the rationality of NATO’s continued existence. He said that this military organization, which was an opponent of Warsaw Pact, had no reason to continue to exist after the disappearance of Warsaw Pact.

　　When a reporter asked whether the tense relationship between Russia and the West would develop into a new cold war. Putin denied this. "No, I don’t think it’s possible. It’s not in anyone’s interest … Europe, the United States and Russia, no global participant is interested in going back to the past, so it’s not necessary.".

　　Putin said that his dialogue with NATO leaders was "constructive". He told NATO leaders that Russia was prepared to re-implement the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe if the West made concessions.

　　In addition, Putin said that he noticed that the United States began to listen to Russia’s concerns about the anti-missile plan in Eastern Europe, which is "a positive side of today’s dialogue."

　　US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State condoleezza rice visited Russia last month to discuss the anti-missile plan with Russia. Putin commented that this "shows that the United States is trying to improve trust and transparency."

　　US President George W. Bush will go to Sochi, the Russian Black Sea resort, to meet with Russian leaders on the 5th. Putin said that he will discuss with Bush the "strategic framework" of a possible security agreement.

　　Unload the "burden"

　　This is the last time Putin attended the NATO-Russia Council meeting founded in 2002 as president. Putin said at a news conference that he was very happy to unload the "burden" of the president in the future. "I look forward to transferring this burden from my shoulder to my successor’s shoulder."

　　"There is nothing to regret. Ending the presidency is my long-awaited freedom," Putin said.

　　When referring to the successor president Dmitry Medvedev, Putin said, "You will have an interesting time with him."

　　NATO Secretary General jaap de hoop scheffer praised outgoing Putin and Bush as the "fathers of birth" of the NATO-Russian Council on the 4th. He said that Putin will continue to play a role in Russian politics after leaving office. He told Putin at the end of the meeting that he was looking forward to seeing him again. (Feng Wuyong)

Editor: Wang Yuxi