Relations between NATO and Cold War foe Russia have often been strained since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of its Warsaw Pact military alliance in 1991.
Below are key bones of contention:
- Eastern enlargement -
On March 12, 1999 NATO admitted three former Warsaw Pact countries -- the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Moscow then warned NATO against admitting a former Soviet republic.
But on March 29, 2004, NATO welcomed the three Baltic former Soviet republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, along with Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
- Kosovo conflict -
In 1998, Moscow, the traditional ally of Serbia, threatened "a return of the Cold War" if NATO forced Serbs to withdraw from the mainly ethnic-Albanian province of Kosovo.
Two days after NATO's first air strikes on March 26, 1999, Russia closed a NATO information office in Moscow and froze military cooperation.
NATO and Russia agreed to reopen the office in December 2000, but tensions resurfaced after Kosovo's February 2008 declaration of independence.
- CFE treaty -
On December 12, 2007, Russia suspended a key Soviet-era arms pact, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE). It said this was due to NATO's failure to ratify the amended 1999 version by claiming that the Russian troop presence in Georgia and Moldova violated the treaty.
- Russia-Georgia conflict -
On August 19, 2008 after a brief clash between Russia and Georgia, NATO called on Russia to withdraw its forces from the former Soviet republic.
NATO froze relations until the following June, suspending the NATO-Russia Council created in 2002. Moscow then suspended its military cooperation with NATO and accused it of having provoked the conflict.
- Spying -
In April 2009, NATO expelled two Russian diplomats following a spy scandal in which a former Estonian official passed secrets to Moscow. Moscow responded by expelling two Canadian diplomats.
- The missile shield -
Launched in 2010, plans for a European missile shield to counter a perceived threat from Iran include the progressive deployment of missile interceptors and powerful radars in Poland and Romania. In response, Russia deployed missiles in its Kaliningrad enclave in December 2013.
- Libya -
A permanent member of the UN's Security Council, Moscow abstained during a vote on Libya in March 2011 which opened the way for NATO air strikes against the forces of ex strongman Moamer Kadhafi, which led to the fall of the regime. In April, Russia accused NATO of exceeding the UN mandate.
- Ukraine -
The Ukrainian crisis is the most serious for relations between NATO and Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
After Russia annexed Crimea on March 18, 2014, NATO suspended its civilian and military cooperation with Moscow, and Ukraine announced its intention to apply for NATO membership.
The alliance fast-tracked preparations for the defence of eastern European members, doubling the size of the NATO Response Force (NRF) to 40,000 troops.
At a July 2016 summit in Warsaw, NATO agreed on deploying four battalions of around 1,000 troops each in Poland and the Baltic states to act as a tripwire against any fresh Russian adventurism in its Soviet-era backyard.
- Russian-Turkish tension -
NATO member Turkey and Russia are at odds over the war that erupted in Syria in 2011. Tension was fuelled by Russia's military intervention in September 2015 on behalf of the Syrian regime in Damascus.
In November, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane that it argued had strayed into entered Turkish airspace. A deep chill prevailed until the two countries repaired diplomatic ties in July.
Relations between NATO and Cold War foe Russia have often been strained since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of its Warsaw Pact military alliance in 1991.
Below are key bones of contention:
– Eastern enlargement –
On March 12, 1999 NATO admitted three former Warsaw Pact countries — the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Moscow then warned NATO against admitting a former Soviet republic.
But on March 29, 2004, NATO welcomed the three Baltic former Soviet republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, along with Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
– Kosovo conflict –
In 1998, Moscow, the traditional ally of Serbia, threatened “a return of the Cold War” if NATO forced Serbs to withdraw from the mainly ethnic-Albanian province of Kosovo.
Two days after NATO’s first air strikes on March 26, 1999, Russia closed a NATO information office in Moscow and froze military cooperation.
NATO and Russia agreed to reopen the office in December 2000, but tensions resurfaced after Kosovo’s February 2008 declaration of independence.
– CFE treaty –
On December 12, 2007, Russia suspended a key Soviet-era arms pact, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE). It said this was due to NATO’s failure to ratify the amended 1999 version by claiming that the Russian troop presence in Georgia and Moldova violated the treaty.
– Russia-Georgia conflict –
On August 19, 2008 after a brief clash between Russia and Georgia, NATO called on Russia to withdraw its forces from the former Soviet republic.
NATO froze relations until the following June, suspending the NATO-Russia Council created in 2002. Moscow then suspended its military cooperation with NATO and accused it of having provoked the conflict.
– Spying –
In April 2009, NATO expelled two Russian diplomats following a spy scandal in which a former Estonian official passed secrets to Moscow. Moscow responded by expelling two Canadian diplomats.
– The missile shield –
Launched in 2010, plans for a European missile shield to counter a perceived threat from Iran include the progressive deployment of missile interceptors and powerful radars in Poland and Romania. In response, Russia deployed missiles in its Kaliningrad enclave in December 2013.
– Libya –
A permanent member of the UN’s Security Council, Moscow abstained during a vote on Libya in March 2011 which opened the way for NATO air strikes against the forces of ex strongman Moamer Kadhafi, which led to the fall of the regime. In April, Russia accused NATO of exceeding the UN mandate.
– Ukraine –
The Ukrainian crisis is the most serious for relations between NATO and Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
After Russia annexed Crimea on March 18, 2014, NATO suspended its civilian and military cooperation with Moscow, and Ukraine announced its intention to apply for NATO membership.
The alliance fast-tracked preparations for the defence of eastern European members, doubling the size of the NATO Response Force (NRF) to 40,000 troops.
At a July 2016 summit in Warsaw, NATO agreed on deploying four battalions of around 1,000 troops each in Poland and the Baltic states to act as a tripwire against any fresh Russian adventurism in its Soviet-era backyard.
– Russian-Turkish tension –
NATO member Turkey and Russia are at odds over the war that erupted in Syria in 2011. Tension was fuelled by Russia’s military intervention in September 2015 on behalf of the Syrian regime in Damascus.
In November, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane that it argued had strayed into entered Turkish airspace. A deep chill prevailed until the two countries repaired diplomatic ties in July.
