DISINFO: NATO is practicing an invasion of the CSTO countries
SUMMARY
On the northern and western borders of the CSTO zone, the military presence of NATO is increased and new weapons systems are deployed. The number of provocations in the airspace is growing, numerous military exercises are conducted, including the invasion of the territory of the CSTO countries․ Western policy leads to a deterioration of the situation in the CSTO area of responsibility․ There is an obvious attempt to turn the Eurasian region into an arena of geopolitical confrontation.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative portraying NATO as an aggressive and hostile alliance planning to attack Russia and other CSTO countries.
Recently, Russian politicians have adopted a particularly aggressive rhetoric against NATO, accusing it of direct involvement in the war in Ukraine, which is Moscow's unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Kyiv. On 29 August 2023, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, stated on X that since Ukrainians have declared any of their strikes against Russian targets, including Crimea, are sanctioned by NATO, Russia has the right to engage in war with NATO.
These and other similar Russian threats have forced NATO to ensure its security by various methods, including military exercises. Following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NATO member countries revised their Strategic Concept. The North Atlantic Alliance recognised Russia as ‘the most significant and direct threat’ to security in Europe, but emphasised at the same time that ‘NATO does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to the Russian Federation.’
Top commanders in some NATO countries have been pondering on military preparations over the past months (see here, here, and here), but these are merely defensive plans that aim at repelling possible Russian aggression. NATO members are working out defence plans in case Russia decides to strike first, about which some Russian officials have been openly speaking.
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