With tensions high over the Ukraine conflict and Russia's backing of the Syrian government, Medvedev said: "All that's left is an unfriendly policy of NATO against Russia.
"We can say it even more clearly: We have slid into a new period of Cold War," he said, speaking at the Munich security conference.
"Almost every day we are accused of making new horrible threats either against NATO as a whole, against Europe, or against the US or other countries."
Medvedev said Russian President Vladimir Putin told the same Munich conference in 2007 that the West's building of a missile defense system risked restarting the Cold War, and now "the picture is more grim; the developments since 2007 have been worse than anticipated".
Medvedev criticised the expansion of NATO and EU influence deep into formerly Soviet-ruled eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War.
"NATO's policies related to Russia remain unfriendly and opaque... Sometimes I wonder if it's 2016 or if we live in 1962."
The Russian prime minister added that "creating trust is hard ... but we have to start. Our positions differ, but they do not differ as much as 40 years ago when a wall was standing in Europe."
Medvedev's comments came three days after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg announced the Western military alliance would increase its presence in the Black Sea, which surrounds Crimea...
[aljazeera.com]
13/2/16
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Russia warns of ‘new Cold War’ amid East-West tensions...
ReplyDeleteThe world has plunged into a "new Cold War", the Russian premier said Saturday, as East-West tensions over Syria and Ukraine dominated a gathering of world leaders in Germany.
US Secretary of State John Kerry told the Munich Security Conference that Russia must stop targeting moderate rebels in Syria and pull its troops out of Ukraine.
"To date, the vast majority of Russia's attacks (in Syria) have been against legitimate opposition groups," Kerry told the audience.
"To adhere to the agreement it made, Russia's targeting must change," he said, referring to the international deal forged on Friday, in which foreign ministers agreed to seek a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria within a week.
"This is the moment. This is a hinge point. Decisions made in the coming days and weeks, and a few months could end the war in Syria -- or could define a very difficult set of choices for the future."
He spoke shortly after Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the world had "slid into a new period of Cold War."
"Almost every day we are accused of making new horrible threats either against NATO as a whole, against Europe or against the US or other countries," Medvedev said....france24.com