NATO enlargement in Baltic States and Poland impedes settlement of conflict in Ukraine - CSTO Secretariat

NATO enlargement in the Baltic States and Poland reduces the possibility of a speedy settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. This was noted by the heads of the Secretariat and the CSTO Joint Staff at a meeting in Moscow.

The international situation today is very complicated. There are serious challenges and threats in every region of collective security. The situation in the Eastern European direction is very tense. NATO forces are becoming increasingly involved in the Ukrainian conflict. In fact, there is an unprecedented build-up of the alliance's military capabilities in the Baltic States, Poland and in the Black Sea region. Sanctions and propaganda pressure from the West are also hampering the resolution of the crisis situation.

Yuri Shuvalov, representative of the CSTO Secretariat:

“The Eastern European direction is particularly tense, it poses the greatest number of threats. We see that the military presence of NATO bases along the CSTO border is intensifying. We understand that the Ukrainian conflict is subject to external influence. The response to these threats is in the interaction between Russia and Belarus, and we see the reaction of Western countries to the decision to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus.”

The situation in the South Caucasus remains serious. There remain risks associated with the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. There are also challenges and threats on the border with Afghanistan. This is connected with increase of terrorist groups and illegal drug production and distribution. All these issues are under the close attention of the political leadership of the CSTO.