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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).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has expressed serious concern over reports that the United States plans to transfer some Afghan migrants to Pakistan, urging Washington to act responsibly and cautiously.
In a statement, the ministry said it had received reports that the US intends to send Afghan nationals who have so far been unable to obtain legal residency documents in the United States to Pakistan.
The ministry said the Islamic Emirate considers the protection of the rights of all Afghan citizens its responsibility and stressed that Afghans, wherever they are in the world, should be treated in accordance with applicable laws, accepted principles and respect for human dignity.
It called on the United States to ensure that any decisions or actions concerning Afghan nationals are taken through clear bilateral understanding, necessary coordination and with due consideration for their rights and legitimate requests.
The ministry also said third countries should not make deals over the fate of another country’s citizens in exchange for temporary benefits or other considerations at the expense of human dignity, individual rights and accepted humanitarian standards.
The statement added that the Islamic Emirate remains committed to constructive engagement and cooperation to facilitate the safe, dignified and voluntary return of Afghan citizens.
US President Donald Trump has claimed that he could have won the war in Afghanistan within three weeks, criticising previous American presidents for failing to pursue victory during the country’s longest military conflict.
Speaking at a midterm election campaign rally in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, Trump said successive US administrations had failed to fight wars with the clear objective of winning.
“Afghanistan, years and years. Then, we never fight to win. We don’t fight to win. We fight to tie,” Trump said, referring to the US military involvement in Afghanistan.
He claimed he could have brought the war to an end within a few weeks, saying: “I could have won that war in three weeks.”
Trump also made a similar claim about the Vietnam War, saying he could have won it in one week.
The United States launched its military campaign in Afghanistan in October 2001, following the September 11 attacks. The conflict continued for nearly 20 years before US forces completed their withdrawal in August 2021.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres says journalists around the world continue to pay a heavy price for telling the truth, calling for justice and accountability for crimes committed against media workers.
In a message marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2, Guterres warned that targeting journalists and silencing their reporting deprives the public of access to information and makes everyone a victim.
“When journalists are targeted and their reporting is extinguished, it makes victims of us all,” he said, stressing the need for justice.
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