US should consider dissolving NATO – State Duma deputy Pushkov
23 March 2014, 20:29 -- Head of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs, Alexei Pushkov has offered Washington, that stands for the demilitarization of Crimea, a counter initiative; to eliminate NATO. 'The idea of demilitarization of Crimea is a stillborn one. It is within the competence of neither Ukraine, nor the United States. Why not discuss the dissolution of NATO?' the committee head wrote Friday in his Twitter account.
The fact that the US supports the idea of demilitarization of the Crimea, was announced on March 20 by Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, Wendy Sherman.
'We really think that this is a promising concept,' Sherman said during a press conference in Kiev on Thursday.
The US calls for the UN's active participation in this business, especially the Security Council - 'to work out the details and sign the agreement,' Sherman said.
Russia complies with troop limits on Ukrainian border
Russia is complying with all international treaties limiting troop numbers along its border with Ukraine, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said on Sunday.
'The Defense Ministry is complying with all international agreements on the limitation of troops in border areas,' he said, commenting on allegations in mass media that Russia is massing 'thousands of' troops on the Ukrainian border.
'By the way, the issue has been repeatedly discussed during telephone talks between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his foreign counterparts, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel and Ukraine's acting Defense Minister Igor Tenyukh,' Antonov said.
Shoigu informed his interlocutors precisely and unambiguously about the real state of affairs on the Russian-Ukrainian border and the absence of any plans to mass troops in border areas, the deputy defense minister said.
European inspectors report no Russia's military build-up on Ukraine border
Watchdogs from several European countries have noticed no indication of a massive build-up of Russian military that would threaten the security of neighboring states, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Sunday.
According to Mr. Antonov, as many as seven inspection groups paid visits to Russian border territories over the past month. 'Our facilities and deployment areas along the Russian-Ukrainian border were twice checked by the Ukrainian military,' he noted.
Monitors from the US, Canada, Germany, France, Switzerland, Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Finland scrutinized Russia's military camps stationed on its borders with neighboring nations. 'It must have been a simple 'coincidence' that the majority of these [missions] focused on the regions near the Ukrainian border,' Mr. Antonov noted.
'We were as transparent as it comes and let our partners inspect all facilities they wanted. We have nothing to hide,' the defense chief pointed out.
The Russian military went as far as allowing EU and NATO watchdogs to interrogate Russian command, takes photos of bases where personnel and military hardware were stationed and accompany them during their routine maneuvers.
'The conclusion that our partners came to after the final briefing, which is a compulsory inspection procedure, was unanimous: Russian armed forces are not involved in any manner of unannounced military maneuvers that would endanger the security of neighboring states,' Antonov underscored.
The Russian deputy defense minister urged Ukrainian and European watchdogs to update their corresponding governments on the actual situation on the Russian borders, saying a clearer picture would certainly de-escalate the situation in the region.
Voice of Russia, TASS, RIA, Interfax
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