MOSCOW, May 15 (RIA Novosti) – NATO allies will soon seek to reestablish cooperation with Russia but the approach should be reciprocal and sober, according to a new report published by the NATO Defense College Research Division.
“The West will continue to seek cooperation with Russia. However, this cooperation will be focused, reciprocal, and less embellished with overblown rhetoric about a ‘strategic partnership,’” the report said.
Cooperation should be selectively pursued only in areas of common interests, the report said, adding that the West should revisit the Cold War era strategy of arms control and confidence building.
The research underlines that NATO allies have to focus on two additional aspects in their relationship with Russia.
In light of recent events, the military bloc must revise its threat analyses and political declarations concerning deployment if its forces in eastern member states. However, any military changes must be transparent to Russia in order to avoid any misperceptions, the report argues.
NATO and Moscow must also focus on discussing the policies of expanding the military bloc, as well as the European Union, as there is a lot of confusion surrounding the issue, the report added.
Relations between Russia and NATO soured after Crimea rejoining Russia in March. NATO is reportedly considering permanently stationing troops in parts of Eastern Europe as tensions over Ukraine are on the rise.
The move has come as another sign that the alliance was tightening its grip on Eastern Europe where it is already running air-policing and surveillance missions over Poland, Romania and the three Baltic countries.
