Russia join forces with NATO!

[kilo delta]

Russia has agreed to co-operate on Nato's programme to defend against ballistic missile attacks, Nato's chief has said.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a Nato summit in Lisbon that the two sides had agreed in writing that they no longer posed a threat to one another.

"For the first time the two sides will be co-operating to defend themselves," Mr Rasmussen said.

The Lisbon summit has been redrawing Nato's focus to face new challenges.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said of the summit: "A period of very difficult, tense relations has been overcome."

This is the first Nato summit Russia has attended since the Russia-Georgia war two years ago.

Nato members had earlier agreed on a programme to develop and deploy defences against ballistic missile attack on their territories.

Mr Rasmussen said he had extended an offer to Russia to co-operate on the programme and was "very pleased that [Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev has taken up that offer".

Mr Rasmussen said this agreement was of "real political importance" and a "true turning point".
There would be an exchange of information on the threats to European skies, he said, and the two sides "could conceivably co-operate on shooting down an incoming missile".

Mr Rasmussen said: "The Nato nations and Russia have today agreed in writing that while we face many security challenges, we pose no threat to each other."

He said Russia had agreed to allow more supplies to travel through Russian territory to support Nato's mission in Afghanistan and to allow equipment out as well.

Moscow withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 after a bloody 10-year conflict.

Mr Rasmussen said there would also be increased co-operation with Russia on terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, piracy and counter-narcotics.

Mr Medvedev hailed the "constructive atmosphere" of the talks, adding: "We have ambitious plans, we will work across all directions, including European missile defence and the Russia-Nato council has demonstrated that."

Mr Medvedev praised US President Barack Obama for his "courageous" rejection of the version of the European missile shield projected by former President George W Bush.

But Mr Medvedev said many details of the shield plan were still uncertain and that the scheme would "only be peaceful when it is universal".

And he warned: "Our participation has to be a full-fledged exchange of information, or we won't take part at all."
Mr Obama hailed the "resetting" of Nato-Russia ties
"We have agreed to co-operate on missile defence - we have turned a source of past tension into a source of co-operation," he said.

The missile shield programme was a "clear plan to protect" allies in Europe, Mr Obama said.

He also again appealed to the US Senate to ratify a new Start treaty he has agreed with Mr Medvedev.

The treaty would reduce both countries' nuclear arsenals and allow each to inspect the other's facilities.

Mr Obama said the Senate should "rise above partisanship" to ratify the deal.

He said there had already been "18 hearings and nearly 1,000 questions answered" on the treaty and it would have "to start over from scratch in January" if it were not ratified.

Mr Obama said he had won "overwhelming support" among Nato allies for the Start deal.

Mr Medvedev also called on the Senate to be "responsible" and ratify the deal.

The two-day Lisbon summit has been billed as one of the most important in Nato's history, as it seeks to update its strategy and structure to face new security threats.

On Friday member states agreed a new 10-year "strategic concept", a document that defines the fundamental nature of Nato's role in the world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11803931



Hard to believe just how much the world has changed since the Cold War era.

 

[Bone]

As someone who grew up in the cold war and had a B-52 and FB-111 pilot for a dad, that is almost totally against my programming....but that's a good thing.

 

[Willy]

As someone who did a career in the Navy during the Cold War, it's against my programming as well. The term "letting the fox in the henhouse" comes to mind. Too many old KGB types still running things over there for me.

 

[Bone]

Too many old KGB types still running things over there for me.

Don't forget that Comrade Major Kapersky, formerly of the KGB, will be glad to protect your computer secrets for you. Da. Nastrovia!

 

[brad kaste]

.........Hmmmmmmmmmmm, has the Russian Bear now become benign?.........

 

[stiz]

The term "letting the fox in the henhouse" comes to mind. Too many old KGB types still running things over there for me.

and i'm sure most of them think the same way, so at least you'll have 1 think in common

 

[TARPSBird]

I don't trust the Russians. Still the same old bunch of paranoid Commies running the show. Some of you younger forum members may not feel threatened in the same way that we did back in the Cold War era, but believe me the threat is still there. It's just packaged in a constructive spirit of cooperation to make it more appealing to gullible Europeans - and American presidents who don't mind negotiating away our own security.

 

[Aviator32]

Man, speaking of paranoia - some of you are really showing your age and (to quote a earlier post) your programming. I grew up under it, my dad spent his whole Navy career under the threat of it but my goodness we face much, much bigger threats than the Russians these days.

The bigger question is surely what is the point of Nato these days anyway? What is it supposed to be for? The world has changed hugely since it was formed - I say scrap it and come up with a new treaty for the 21st century.

 

[stiz]

The bigger question is surely what is the point of Nato these days anyway? What is it supposed to be for? The world has changed hugely since it was formed - I say scrap it and come up with a new treaty for the 21st century.

how about "New world order"??

 

[stansdds]

I don't trust the Russians. Still the same old bunch of paranoid Commies running the show. Some of you younger forum members may not feel threatened in the same way that we did back in the Cold War era, but believe me the threat is still there. It's just packaged in a constructive spirit of cooperation to make it more appealing to gullible Europeans - and American presidents who don't mind negotiating away our own security.

I agree.

 

[Aviator32]

For those who seem to enjoy living in fear, this might take your mind off those Russkies -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11805111

 

[Bone]

Well, I for one, will always appreciate the beauty of Russia's female spies.

 

[Bjoern]

Still the same old bunch of paranoid Commies running the show.

Yeah, of course. Russia, as we know it, is still a communist paradise with people thriving under the achievements of Marx and Lenin...


Seriously, Russia's (and the SU's) protectionist behaviour is just the result of the trauma induced by a certain someone who decided to use a perfect early summer's day for a nationwide trip to Moscow about 70 years ago.
Actually, everything started way earlier with a not so short Frenchman taking a trip to the Kremlin or fending off foreigners who wanted to supress a freshly started revolution by force.

 

[jmig]

The fears that drove the Western world to fear the USSR and its puppet states may no longer be around. However, never for a moment think that Russia wouldn't love to be the big boy once again. I don't think they would do it through nuclear war.

The fear of unclear annihilation is probable gone. However, there are people in both the US and Russia who would be willing to sell nuclear material and devices to certain intolerant people. The difference between us and Russia is we haven't undergone a tremendous political upheaval and have greater security over those devices.

 

[Francois]

Man, speaking of paranoia - some of you are really showing your age and (to quote a earlier post) your programming. I grew up under it, my dad spent his whole Navy career under the threat of it but my goodness we face much, much bigger threats than the Russians these days.

The bigger question is surely what is the point of Nato these days anyway? What is it supposed to be for? The world has changed hugely since it was formed - I say scrap it and come up with a new treaty for the 21st century.

'Naive' comes to mind. Putkin will love ya

All through the ages our 'neighbors' could never be trusted. Nothing much has changed there. Things only change here....

 

[Aviator32]

'Naive' comes to mind. Putkin will love ya

All through the ages our 'neighbors' could never be trusted. Nothing much has changed there. Things only change here....

Some parts of Europe have never been able to put up much of a fight so have had reason to be fearful I guess.
Nothing much has changed there either, but the world beyond that has .......

 

[TARPSBird]

Seriously, Russia's (and the SU's) protectionist behaviour is just the result of the trauma induced by a certain someone who decided to use a perfect early summer's day for a nationwide trip to Moscow about 70 years ago.

I agree 100%. After suffering such massive casualties as the Russians did during WWII I can understand the attitude they have toward encroachments on their territory, and whom they perceive as an enemy. The KAL Flight 007 shoot-down in 1983 is an example of that mindset, at least in my opinion. Any other country (except maybe China and North Korea) would have intercepted the aircraft and either forced it to land at one of their airfields or escorted it out of their airspace.

 

[Willy]

The Chinese have shot down civil airliners as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathay_Pacific_VR-HEU

 

[SixGhost]

And so did the NATO apparently...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerolinee_Itavia_Flight_870

Like beauty, what's right is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Francois]

Some parts of Europe have never been able to put up much of a fight so have had reason to be fearful I guess.
Nothing much has changed there either, but the world beyond that has .......

Sure...... you must be an expert on European history and current affairs. Sorry for doubting your judgement here. I am just one of those guys who fought the commies..... and beat them. I am not worthy ;-)