Initiation of a dialog on purely military-technical matters of European security or further military-political escalation are two possible scenarios in evolvement of Russia-NATO relations after talks on security guarantees in Brussels, Valdai Club expert Dmitry Suslov told, Tass reports.
The first scenario of initiated talks on military-technical aspects of European security is less probable but more preferable for the West, the expert said. "On such issues as control over conventional and nuclear arms, strengthening of de-conflicting mechanism on Russia-NATO borders, deployment or non-deployment of small- and medium-range missiles in Europe and so on. Avoiding at the same time discussion of fundamental political issues and principles of European security, NATO expansion and setting new rules of the game in European security, whereby NATO and the US should respect vital interests of Russia and its national security," Suslov noted.
The second scenario comprises further escalation of military-political tension between Russia and NATO member-states, the expert said. "This is inevitable and necessary because NATO will abandon the open doors policy only if it comes to a conclusion that such policy diminishes security of the US and NATO, that further expansion of NATO threatens the alliance and the US with catastrophic consequences, up to a nuclear war. Only in such case they will have to give up the expansion policy and start respecting Russia’s interest, being afraid of the war threat," Suslov noted.
The Russia-NATO Council’s meeting was held on Wednesday in Brussels and the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna was on Thursday.