In an interview earlier this month, Russia’s NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin likened the alliance to “a butting cow “ in a clear nod to NATO’s persistent reluctance to arrive at a political accommodation on an array of mutually advantageous issues with Russia. 

 

Suffice it to mention Moscow’s proposal to jointly stave off sea piracy – an overture that was actually downplayed by Brussels. NATO was also low-key on Russia’s suggestion to jointly tackle the Afghan drug trafficking, which the UN said remains one of the most pressing global challenges. Meanwhile, drug production in Afghanistan has doubled in the past couple of years despite the ongoing international anti-terror operation there. 

 

In Moscow, Igor Maksimychev of the Institute of Europe think tank, underscored the necessity of holding the Russia-NATO Council’s ambassadorial meetings so as to contribute to bilateral fence-mending.

 

Such gatherings will hopefully help allay Russia’s and NATO’s fears regarding each other, Maksimychev said, citing the alliance’s ongoing eastward expansion, which has repeatedly irked Russia. In this regard, ambassadorial meetings within the Russia-NATO Council’s framework could contribute considerably to reach a consensus on the matter, Maksimychev said. On the whole, mending fences between Russia and NATO is an uphill task which is unlikely to be resolved during ambassadorial meetings, Maksimychev admited. 

 

During Wednesday’s gathering, the sides will also discuss the report by NATO’s Wise Men Group, headed by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The survey centers on NATO’s new strategy, which aims to contribute to the alliance members’ national security by specifically interacting with those currently knocking on NATO’s door. 

 

Declining to elaborate, the report attributes NATO’s potential military muscle-flexing to the necessity of grappling with a spate of modern-day threats emanating from “sources which are very diverse geographically and technologically”. 

The Voice of Russia