Russia, NATO seriously differ in approach to European security

"Big problems" exist between Russia and NATO when it comes to nuclear non-prolifiration and missile deployment, Russian envoy to the Alliance, Dmitry Rogozin, said on Friday.

"We have big problems in finishing off the review of common threats precisely on the issue of non-proliferation dossier and discussion of missile risks," Rogozin said during a video link between Moscow and Brussels, the Interfax news agency reported.

"We do have problems with our NATO colleagues already having branded Iran 'a bad guy.' We think that one must be more objective and look at all the countries that have weapons of mass destruction, conceal their possession and have vehicles for missile delivery of weapons of mass destruction," he said.

Currently, the risks that NATO officials were talking about to justify the need for creating a common European anti-missile system do not exist in Europe, Rogozin said.

"I want to say that for now it is enough to hold consultations and analyze missile challenges rather than panic and build something immediately," he said, adding that it was unlikely that NATO members apart from the United States would be able to share the control over such a system.

"You have one button and 28 fingers. I even know which finger will press the button. This is a U.S. system on the European soil, and Europeans will not have the right to use and manage this system after a retaliatory strike," Rogozin said.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has repeatedly said that his goal was to improve relations between his institution and Russia.

However, the two sides still had many fundamental differences concerning security. A Russian military doctrine approved by President Dmitry Medvedev in February defines NATO enlargement and the deployment of missile defense systems as main external threats of war Russia is facing.

Source: Xinhua