The Kremlin branded
the expansion of Nato as a fundamental threat to Russia in a revised military
doctrine that dramatically reflects deteriorating relations with the West.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian
President Petro Poroshenko yesterday welcomed home as heroes 145 soldiers freed
by pro-Russian rebels during the largest prisoner swap of the eight-month
separatist war. Kiev on Friday freed 222 insurgent fighters captured around the
main rebel stronghold of Donetsk and its surrounding regions.
Ukraine's allies in
Europe hope that Friday's exchange will mark a watershed moment in a war that
seems at a stalemate but still rages on because of the immense mistrust between
the two sides.
The new document,
approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, decries the "reinforcement
of Nato's offensive capacities directly on Russia's borders, and measures taken
to deploy a global anti-missile defence system" in Central Europe.
Nato was already seen
a major threat in an earlier version of the doctrine published in 2010, but the
war in Ukraine has further raised tensions to levels not seen since the Cold
War.
The alarmed tone of the
new version comes in the wake of repeated protests by Moscow over Nato's
decision to position troops in alliance member states like Poland or the Baltic
states that border Russia.
The Kremlin has also
opposed Nato's American-driven plan to base its anti-missile defence shield in
Central Europe, which Moscow views as directed foremost against Russia.
The doctrine's harsher
tone also follows Wednesday's decision by Ukraine to abandon its non-aligned
status -- a symbolic move that provoked Moscow's anger by potentially clearing
the way for Kiev to request Nato membership.
Ukraine faces a huge
task to bring its military up to Nato norms, and key members of the alliance,
including France and Germany, remain sceptical about it joining the alliance.
Despite its new
anti-Nato edge, the Russian doctrine remains primarily defensive in nature,
calling any military action by Russia justifiable only after all non-violent
options to settle a conflict have been exhausted.
In the same vein, it
notes the "decreased likelihood of a large-scale war against Russia",
although it does list a number of increasing threats to stability like
territorial disputes, "interference in the internal affairs" of
nations, and the use of strategic arms in space. (AFP)
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