The Guardian 14 June, 2006
Russian concern over Ukraine NATO plans
On June 7 Russian State Duma (parliament) passed an appeal to their counterparts in the Ukrainian Supreme Rada concerning Ukraine’s plans to join NATO and the situation in the Crimea.
The document says that the State Duma respects the sovereignty of Ukraine but "at the same time confirms its extremely negative attitude" towards Ukraine joining the Western alliance.
Ukraine’s joining NATO would harm the strong economic, cultural and other ties between the people of the two countries.
Ukraine’s drive to accede to NATO is a violation of a 1997 Russo-Ukrainian treaty and, if fulfilled, "would have negative consequences for the entire range of relations between our two fraternal peoples", the Duma message warned.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the Russian parliament and sharply warned the United States and ex-Soviet republics wishing to join the US-led NATO alliance about the grave consequences of these actions.
"Membership in NATO for countries like Ukraine or Georgia would mean a ‘colossal geopolitical shift’ and would compel Moscow to respond appropriately to safeguard its security and other national interests."
"We evaluate all possible consequences first and foremost from the point of view of the national interest of Russia", Lavrov said.
Lavrov followed his warning to Ukraine and Georgia with an attack on US strategic policy, saying US plans to deploy low-level nuclear weapons and to mount conventional warheads on intercontinental missiles undermined global agreements aimed at containing the spread of dangerous weapons. Lavrov also accused Washington of backtracking on disarmament.
The United States was trying "not only to remove the question of disarmament from the world agenda, but also from the public view", said Mr Lavrov.
The head of the Russian FSB national security service, Nikolai Patrushev, also delivered a testy rebuke of the United States, accusing the US of systematically employing double standards in its "war on terror".
"We see that in the war on terror, when they need to, they act forcefully, putting generally accepted norms on rights and freedoms of citizens on the backburner. It’s enough to mention Guantanamo and the events in Iraq", Patrushev said.
These warnings came as the situation in the Crimea is hotting up. The population of what is now called the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea is strongly opposed to NATO exercises in the Crimea and is demanding the cancellation of joint military exercises with US forces, supported by the Ukrainian administration of President Victor Yushchenko. The naval exercises are scheduled to take place later this month.
Protestors set up picket lines and said they would stay there for as long as it takes. Hospitality workers put bans on providing food and services to the military. Russian Orthodox priests organised their flock to take part in protests and marches.
In Brussels, a NATO spokesman called on both sides in Ukraine to avoid "politicising" the exercises which he said were not technically being run by NATO at all but rather by the United States Such technicalities are of no concern to the protestors — they just want the lot of them out of the Crimea.