Germany says Russia has made Cold War-era demands of NATO. According to
Berlin, Moscow's unusual military activity jeopardizes peace in Europe.
"With an unprecedented increase in troop [deployment] along Ukraine's
borders, and by making Cold War-era demands, Russia is questioning the basic
tenets of the European peace order," German Foreign Minister Annalena
Baerbock said in a statement on Friday, reported by France24, Saturday
(19/2/2022).
The claim comes ahead of the annual Munich Security Conference. Baerbock
also called on Moscow to take serious steps towards de-escalation.
Russia has demanded that NATO withdraw its troops from Eastern Europe and
provide legally binding guarantees that the Western bloc will stop expanding
eastward.
Moscow says it sees NATO's military infrastructure close to its borders as a
threat. NATO has rejected Russia's demands, but says it is ready for
dialogue to defuse tensions.
Moscow highlighted the need for more talks. At the same time, Russia says
that NATO is ignoring its main concerns.
Furthermore, NATO accuses Russia of gathering troops and military hardware
with the intention of attacking Ukraine.
However, Moscow has denied it time and time again. Russia announced earlier
this month that, for the first time in two decades, it would miss this
year's Munich conference.
The annual meeting in southern Germany is considered one of the world's top
platforms for officials and experts to exchange views on current affairs.
However, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that
Moscow lost interest in the event because it had turned into a purely
trans-Atlantic forum, losing its inclusivity.
Baerbock, on the other hand, argued on Friday that Russia did miss an
opportunity by not taking advantage of this encounter.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow
on Tuesday, where they discussed ways to resolve the crisis.
