NATO's desire to have a military version of the Schengen Zone in Europe, so that the Alliance's armed forces can move freely and oppose Russia, has raised tensions and is a cause for concern, the Kremlin said today.
The head of NATO's logistics command JSEC, Lt. Gen. Alexander Solfrank, told Reuters in an interview published yesterday that he would like to see such a zone.
He expressed concern about the heavy bureaucracy in Europe that is blocking troop movements, a problem that could cause long delays should a conflict with Russia break out. If this proposal were implemented, Russia would respond, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented.
"The Alliance has always considered our country a 'fictitious enemy'. Now he openly considers our country an obvious enemy. This announcement does nothing more than inflame tensions in Europe, which has repercussions," Peskov told reporters.
Peskov argued that the "military Schengen" talks show once again that Europe is unwilling to listen to Moscow's legitimate concerns and is ready to strengthen its own security at Moscow's expense:
"NATO is the one that is constantly moving its military infrastructure towards our border. We are not moving towards NATO infrastructure. NATO is moving towards us. And this alone can cause concern and only lead to retaliation to guarantee our own safety."
Since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO has expanded by about 1,000 kilometers to the east, welcoming former Warsaw Pact countries, including Poland and the Baltic states, and multiplying the length of its eastern flank to about 4,000 kilometers in total.
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