The expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the justification of Russian President Vladimir Putin to concentrate more than 100 a thousand soldiers near the border with Ukraine. Citing security concerns, he demands that the alliance return to positions prior to 2016, when several former communist bloc countries began to enter. in NATO, and a permanent ban on Ukrainian entry into the alliance.
)And why does this escalation occur at this moment? The main reason given is that by the end of the year, an Aegis Ashore missile defense system should come into operation at a base in Redzikowo, Poland. According to the Pentagon, this structure will first be managed by the US Navy, then by the US Command in Europe and then it will be under the responsibility of NATO.
Another base has the same system in operation in Deveselu, Romania, since 2016, and is already controlled by the Western military alliance. However, the Polish base worries Moscow more, as it is closer to Russia.
Despite being defensive systems, which the United States and allies claim are being deployed to deter ballistic missiles launched by Iran and other enemies of the West, Putin expressed distrust, because Tomahawk missiles use the same launchers as Aegis Ashore systems.
“There are anti-missile launchers in Poland and Romania, there are anti-missile launchers MK- there, in which you can put the Tomahawks, which already they are not missile defense, but offensive weapons systems, which will cover our territory for thousands of kilometers. Isn’t that a threat to us?”, questioned the Russian president, in early February.
While he discarded the veto on Ukraine’s NATO membership, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reported in January that, in written response to Moscow’s demands, Washington had presented proposals to improve the ” reciprocal transparency” between Russia and the West regarding the “position of forces in Ukraine” and military exercises in the region, as well as propositions addressing the allocation of missile systems in Europe and arms control. However, analysts point out that closing bases in Poland and Romania is out of the question.
In an interview with the New York Times, Thomas Graham, who was senior director for Russia at the National Security Council during the administration of George W. Bush, stated that “the current crisis is really much broader than Ukraine”.
“Ukraine is a leverage point, but it’s more about Poland, Romania and the Baltic countries. The Russians think it’s time to review the post-Cold War deal in Europe in their favor”, he highlighted.