Russia assembling rival to NATO

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A new Russian security strategy includes an intense rivalry with Washington, the possible use of military force as the nation competes for energy resources in the Middle East, Barents Sea, the Arctic, Caspian Sea and Central Asia, and the assembly of a coalition that it hopes will rival NATO, according to a report in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

While Russia intends to develop relations with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, it will only do so if the alliance takes into account Russia's "legitimate interests in its military-political planning."

But because of Moscow's continuing concern over NATO's eastward migration into regions such as the Caucasus and Central Asia – regions which it regards as being in its sphere of influence – Russia will bolster a collective security arrangement with post-Soviet countries.

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These and other "foreign policy concepts" are embodied in the "National Security Strategy of Russian Federation to 2020," just approved by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

It signals a resurgence by Moscow that intends to compete with the U.S. across the spectrum in international relations, energy and security.

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"We presume that foreign policy efforts in assuring national security will play an ever increasing role in parallel with necessary measures to ensure our defense capability," said Andrei Nesterenko, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman.

"Priority attention will be paid to developing relations with the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, particularly regional and sub-regional integration in the framework of the CIS itself, as well as of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Community," Nesterenko said.

"Of special importance to our country will be the strengthening of the political potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and implementation within its framework of practical steps to reinforce mutual trust and partnership in Central Asia," he added.

Nesterenko's comments were a veiled threat to NATO's eastward expansion into the Caucasus and Central Asia where Moscow has, in effect, drawn a red-line against U.S. and NATO expansion.

For that reason, the "priority attention" referred to by Nesterenko will be to develop a coalition force of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, to rival NATO, something almost reminiscent of the Warsaw Pact during Soviet times.

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In addition to Russia, countries which belong to the CSTO are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

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