Western Media Alarmed US Becomes Threat to Russia, But Fail to Read Deeper

Most of the Western media sources have headlined that Russia had listed the US and NATO among the threats to its national security while neglecting to mention that in the same very document Moscow stresses that it is ready for cooperation and full-fledged partnership with both, albeit only on a mutually beneficial basis.

The majority of the Western media, including, among others, Reuters, The Huffington Post, Daily News and The Hill have headlined that Russia had listed the US as a threat to its national security.

The comments come in a follow up to the recent unveiling of the country’s updated National Security Strategy and apparently refers to several paragraphs of the document.

One acknowledges that the strengthening of Russia, its independent foreign and internal policy has prompted the US and its allies to initiate counteraction, as they are striving to maintain their dominant position in the world. Thus they pursue a policy of constrain of Russia, which envisages exerting political, economic, military and information pressure.

Another one says that the deployment of the components of the US anti-missile defense system in Europe, Asian-Pacific region and in the Middle East considerably decreases maintainability of global and regional stability in the face of practical implementation of the “global strike” concept, deployment of strategic non-nuclear  precision-guided systems and deployment of arms in space.

The document also acknowledged that the US is expanding its network of military-biological laboratories on the territory of countries neighboring Russia. The world still faces a high risk of proliferation and use of chemical weapons, “and also the uncertainty as to which foreign countries have biological weaponry or the means to develop and produce it.”

Media outlets however neglected to mention that nevertheless Russia is in favor of strengthening cooperation with the EU and a fully-fledged partnership with the US, albeit on the mutually-beneficial basis.

“The Russian Federation is in favor of strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation with European countries and the EU, and of harmonizing the integration projects in Europe and in the post-Soviet space, forming an open collective security system based on a clear legal and treaty framework and covering the Euro-Atlantic region,” the document states.

“The Russian Federation is interested in building a fully-fledged partnership with the United States of America on the basis of common interests, including economic, with an eye on the Russian-US relations’ key influence on the international situation as a whole. The most important aspects of such a partnership are perfecting control mechanisms over armaments specified by international treaties, strengthening mutual trust measures, resolving issues related to WMD nonproliferation, expanding counter-terrorism cooperation, resolving regional conflicts.”

Relations With NATO

As for NATO, which was headlined as Russia’s national threat by, among others, The Washington Times and The Financial Times, the document clearly states that the expansion of NATO and its approach to Russia’s borders has created a threat to national security.

“Expanding the force potential of NATO and endowing it with global functions which are implemented in violation of international legal norms, the block’s military activation, its continued expansion, and the approach of its military infrastructure to Russian borders, all create a threat to national security.”

“The still-evident block approach to resolving international problems is not facilitating their response to a whole range of challenges and threats. The growth of migration from Africa and the Middle East to Europe has revealed the bankruptcy of the regional system of security in the Euro-Atlantic region that was built on the basis of NATO and the EU.”

At the same time, Russia is ready to expand its relations with NATO provided the alliance gives due consideration to Russia’s interests.

“The Russian Federation is ready to develop its relationship with NATO on the basis of equality in order to strengthen the overall security in the Euro-Atlantic region.”

The Strategy notes that the determining factor in the relationship with NATO is “the unacceptability to Russia of the growing military activity by the alliance, the approach of its military infrastructure to Russia’s borders, deployment of anti-missile defense system and any attempts to empower the alliance with the global functions, implemented in violation of the international law norms.”

Russia as a Threat to US

The wording of Russia’s National Security Strategy provisions is far from that of the US. In January 2015, President Obama was far more vocal about Russia being a top threat to the US, next to Daesh, also known as Islamic State.

“We’re demonstrating the power of American strength and diplomacy.  We’re upholding the principle that bigger nations can’t bully the small — by opposing Russian aggression, and supporting Ukraine’s democracy, and reassuring our NATO allies,” the US leader then said in his State of the Union Address.

“Last year, as we were doing the hard work of imposing sanctions along with our allies, as we were reinforcing our presence with frontline states, Mr. Putin’s aggression it was suggested was a masterful display of strategy and strength.  That's what I heard from some folks.  Well, today, it is America that stands strong and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated with its economy in tatters.  That’s how America leads — not with bluster, but with persistent, steady resolve.”

The speech suggested no hint on any possible cooperation between the two.