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Ex-Nato head says Putin wanted to join alliance early on in his rule
Vladimir Putin wanted Russia to join NATO but did not want his country to have to go through the usual application process and stand in line “with a lot of countries that don’t matter”, the former NATO chief, George Robertson said this week.
Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary who led Nato between 1999 and 2004, said Putin made it clear at their first meeting that he wanted Russia to be part of western Europe, the UK’s Guardian reported.
“They wanted to be part of that secure, stable, prosperous west that Russia was out of at the time,” he said.
Robertson recalled an early meeting with Putin, who became Russian president in 2000. “Putin said: ‘When are you going to invite us to join NATO?’ And [Robertson] said: ‘Well, we don’t invite people to join NATO, they apply to join NATO.’ And he said: ‘Well, we’re not standing in line with a lot of countries that don’t matter’.”
Robertson’s comments underscore how Putin’s worldview has evolved during his 21 years of unbroken rule of Russia, the Guardian reported.
Robertson also recalled how he became the first and only NATO secretary general to invoke NATO’s collective defence clause, known as article five, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
After the 9/11 attacks, many NATO allies joined the US in invading Afghanistan, with NATO taking over the mission command in 2003.
Robertson was however critical of the US’s chaotic withdrawal two months ago, but contended that the 20-year long mission of western military forces made a difference, despite the return of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense says its forces have seized significant quantities of weapons, ammunition, medical supplies, vehicles and other contraband during operations near the disputed Durand Line over the past three months.
According to the ministry, the seizures included 66 Kalashnikov rifles, 20 M16 rifles, 17 M4 rifles, 33 pistols, and 8,000 rounds of various types of light and heavy ammunition.
The forces also confiscated 45 vehicles, 2,600 kilograms of narcotics, 486 cartons of medicines, 2,373 sheep and 34 bundles of fuse cord, the ministry said.
The ministry added that 39 alleged smugglers were arrested in connection with the operations.
Ali Zeynivand, spokesperson for Iran’s Interior Ministry, has said that the process of repatriating undocumented Afghan migrants continues despite recent developments and crises in the region.
He stressed that the process does not target all Afghan nationals, but is aimed at managing the presence of foreign nationals in Iran and determining their legal residency status.
Zeynivand said some undocumented foreign nationals have been expelled from Iran based on judicial orders, while efforts to register and return others without legal documents are continuing.
According to Zeynivand, more than 200,000 undocumented Afghan migrants have voluntarily left Iran over the past five months.
He added that the main objective of the plan is to establish accurate records of foreign nationals, including how and through which border crossing they entered Iran, where they live and which public services they use.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Afghanistan and Pakistan cooperated with Tehran during the recent conflict to prevent individuals from using their territories to enter Iran and create unrest.
Speaking in a press conference on Saturday, Pezeshkian said Pakistan was cooperating with Iran “fully” while Afghanistan had also provided significant cooperation. He added that Turkmenistan, Russia and Iraq had helped Iran, while dialogue with Azerbaijan continued despite political differences.
Pezeshkian said regional cooperation had played an important role in helping Iran cope with the impact of the war and restrictions on the country.
The Iranian president also accused Iran’s adversaries of attempting to create insecurity along the country’s northwestern and southeastern borders, including plans to attack border posts and send armed individuals into Iran.
He said the plans were unsuccessful, partly because Iran responded to some of the efforts and because neighboring countries took measures to prevent individuals from using their territory to enter Iran.
Pezeshkian specifically highlighted the role of Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying both governments had deployed groups to monitor the situation along their territories.
According to the Iranian president, both countries had also made clear that no one would be permitted to use their soil to enter Iran and cause unrest inside the country.
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