Russian parliament concerned about possibility of Georgia and Ukraine joining NATO

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The Russian State Duma is concerned about the US President George Bush signing a decree that promotes NATO enlargement and supports Ukraine and Georgia’s joining NATO as well as about granting money from the US federal budget for preparation of those countries entering the alliance, a REGNUM correspondent informs.

Signing the law on accepting several countries, including Ukraine and Georgia, into NATO, is in no way connected to modernization of the alliance or security in Europe, believes Deputy Chair of the Russian State Duma Vladimir Pekhtin. “It is a provoking factor that, on the contrary, decreases the level of mutual trust and, moreover, does not contribute to strengthening strategic partnership relations between Moscow and Washington, besides, it does not give a full opportunity to establish mutually beneficial cooperation in international energy security,” he said.

Earlier, on April 6, the State Duma passed a resolution where it expressed its concern about US plans to increase its armed forces in the European continent near Russian border. In particular, apart from deploying elements of its antimissile system in Czechia and Poland, it said about possible deployment of a US antimissile defense system element in a Caucasian country and in Ukraine.