Russian Chief of Staff Warns Against NATO Expansion

Gen. Yuri Baluevsky, the chief of staff of the Russian armed forces, said on April 11 that Russia would protect its interests through military and “other measures” in case of Georgia’s and Ukraine’s integration into NATO.

“No doubt that Russia will undertake measures to defend its interests at its state borders. And these will be not only military measures, these will be other measures as well,” RIA Novosti news agency quoted Baluevsky as saying. When asked to specify “other measures” Baluevsky answered: “We will wait – the issue is ambiguous.”

Mikheil Kaminin, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that Moscow would perceive emergence of a military bloc near its borders as a direct threat to its security. “And any claim that this process is not directed against Russia do not satisfy us,” Kaminin told RIA Novosti on April 11.   

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also warned a few days ago that Moscow would spare no efforts to prevent Georgia’s and Ukraine’s membership in the alliance.