WAR.WIRE
Russia warns NATO it may re-evaluate nuclear stance
MOSCOW (AFP) Oct 02, 2003
Russia delivered an abrupt warning to NATO on Thursday by saying it would re-evaluate its nuclear missile strategy should the Cold War-era body remain a military alliance with an "offensive" doctrine.

"Should NATO remain a military alliance with its current offensive military strategy, this will prompt a fundamental reassessment of Russia's military planning and arms procurement," said an internal assessment document released by Russia's defense ministry Thursday.

This re-evaluation will include "changes to Russia's nuclear strategy," the document said.

It failed to spell out how Russia's approach to nuclear weapons would change.

Russia and the United States agreed in May 2002 to slash their nuclear arsenals by two-thirds to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads over the next decade.

Moscow has established warmer relations with NATO over the past two years and has joined a special Russia-NATO Council where it enjoys a broad advisory role but no veto power.

But the Russian defense ministry -- which often expresses more hawkish views that President Vladimir Putin's administration -- said it still regarded NATO as a threat as the alliances eyes expansion into former Soviet republics in the Baltic region -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

"Russia is carefully following NATO's transformation, and expects it to put a complete end to direct and indirect elements of its anti-Russian policy, which includes its military planning," the document says.

The ministry demanded that anti-Russian sentiments are also removed from the "political declarations" of NATO member states.

WAR.WIRE