DISINFO: NATO is an instrument of US foreign policy and poses a threat to Russia
SUMMARY
NATO is simply an instrument of US foreign policy. No one has any doubts about it. This is what is being talked about in Europe. The stationing of NATO weapons very close to the Russian borders is a “destructive activity” and poses a threat to Russia. Another problem is that NATO countries are hardly allowed to say anything against the Alliance stationing certain types of equipment on their territory. For example, parts of the missile defence system that would be deployed in Romania and soon also in Poland.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on NATO as a geopolitical project of the US and NATO as having a belligerent agenda against Russia. NATO is not an instrument of US foreign policy. NATO was founded in 1949 by twelve sovereign nations: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has since grown to 29 Allies who each took an individual and sovereign decision to join this Alliance. All decisions in NATO are taken by consensus, which means that a decision can only be taken if every single member accepts it. No member of the Alliance can order the deployment of armed forces of other member states. Moreover, NATO poses no threat to Russia. All Allies reaffirmed at the Brussels Summit that "the Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia.” Also, in direct response to Russia's use of military force against its neighbours, NATO has deployed four multinational battle-groups to the Baltic States and Poland. These forces are rotational, defensive and proportionate. They cannot compare to the three divisions Russia has established in its Western Military and Southern Military Districts. Before Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, there were no plans to deploy Allied troops to the eastern part of the Alliance. For more disinformation cases on NATO see here, here and here.