(Vilnius) NATO deputy chief Mircea Geoana said on Sunday that in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Atlantic Alliance was no longer bound by its former commitments to Moscow not to deploy its forces. in Eastern Europe.
Posted at 6:08 p.m.
The Founding Act on relations between NATO and Russia, signed 25 years ago, provided, among other things, for measures aimed at “preventing any concentration of conventional forces”, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.
But by attacking Ukraine and breaking off all dialogue with the Alliance, Russia has itself “invalidated the content of this Founding Act”, underlined Mr. Geoana in an interview with AFP in Vilnius.
The Russians “undertook there not to attack the neighbours, which is what they are doing, and to hold regular consultations with NATO, which they are not doing”, specified Mr Geoana.
The Founding Act “just doesn’t work, because of Russia”, he said.
According to the deputy head of NATO, the Alliance now has “no restrictions” to acquire a “robust posture on the eastern flank”.
In 2017, NATO already deployed multinational battlegroups to the Baltic states and Poland to deter Russia, then sent reinforcements after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February.
The Baltic States currently want an even greater NATO presence and are asking it in particular to develop brigades, instead of smaller battlegroups.
NATO defense ministers will meet in mid-June to discuss the issue, and Alliance leaders are expected to endorse the decisions at a summit in Madrid later that month.