Nato: Need ties to counter Russia’s ‘imperialist’ bid
Seven european countries that had joined North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) — the western military alliance — two decades ago hailed the occasion in New Delhi earlier this week, even as they accused Russia of pushing an “imperialist” agenda which they said had “threatened the very core of european security”. Envoys of Romania, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia slammed Moscow for its military offensive in neighbouring Ukraine, and vowed “longterm support to the Ukrainian nation”, as they called for the “restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity”.
It may be noted that while these seven nations have reiterated that Nato is a “defensive alliance”, Moscow has termed it as a security threat to Russia.
The seven envoys, including Lithuanian ambassador Diana Mickeviciene, Estonian ambassador Marje Luup, Romanian ambassador Daniela-Mariana Sezonov Tane, Slovak ambassador
Robert Maxian and Bulgarian ambassador Nikolay Yankov, also pointed out that for the seven countries, joining this alliance of free and democratic states, that is ready to collectively defend their security, was not only a strategic foreign policy goal; it at the same time also offers their citizens the most concrete security guarantees in history. They also said that from 12 founding members in 1949, when it was founded to 32 members this year, Nato has remained an “important and effective alliance”.
At a function held in the
Bulgarian embassy in the capital, the seven envoys added, “For nearly 75 years, the bond between Europe and North America has made Nato the strongest alliance in history. The ironclad solid commitment of each member towards rest is that an attack against one ally is an attack against all. This bond guarantees shared security and prosperity and allows each member to live in freedom.”
Reading out a statement on the occasion, the Romanian ambassador Tane said, “When we reflect on what lies ahead, it is clear that freedom and security shall not be taken for granted. The illegal Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, followed by the invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, have demonstrated the critical need for a strong and united Nato, capable of defending every ally against a revanchist Russia, threatening the very core of European security. Russian imperial ambitions created the unprecedented security crisis in Europe and reconfirmed the indispensable role of Nato as a defensive alliance.”