Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, speaking at the Moscow International Security Conference on Thursday, voiced a simple recipe for peaceful interaction of all countries without exception.
"The essence is extremely transparent-a dialogue instead of accusations. Cooperation instead of confrontation. Good will instead of selfishness. Openness instead of double standards, " Patrushev said.
In his opinion, the main thing today is to determine the parameters of peaceful coexistence that do not allow a nuclear war or a war involving nuclear powers. And such opportunities have really appeared recently, including thanks to the decision taken at the end of the Geneva summit to resume bilateral negotiations on the issue of strategic stability.
At the same time, according to him, Russia is well aware of the harmful consequences of the bloc policy for international and regional security. The recent NATO summit demonstrated an unprecedented anti-Russian charge and confirmed the alliance's claims to the role of a world policeman.
"In this regard, the course taken by our country to build up its defense capability is no alternative for us today," Patrushev said. He also recalled that many people in the West today are talking about an aggressive and expansionist Russia. However, he offered to look at the facts. For example, the fact that NATO countries continue to increase allocations for military needs. Even though the total GDP fell by more than 6 percent in the 2020 pandemic year, the alliance's military spending increased by almost 4 percent. In absolute terms, NATO countries, excluding the United States, are almost five times ahead of Russia, and with the American defense budget-more than twenty times.
At the same time, there is a sharp increase in the number of exercises with the development of scenarios of an obvious anti-Russian orientation and the deployment of additional troops near the borders of Russia. According to Patrushev, such actions lead to the creation of tension in those regions where until recently the military-political situation was prosperous. In particular, this applies to the waters of the Baltic and Black Seas, as well as the Arctic.
Ivan Egorov
