The construction of missile defense systems near the Russian border is part of a long-standing policy of NATO to isolate Russia that has been ongoing since the end of the Cold War, Lode Vanoost, a former deputy speaker in the Belgian parliament, told RT.
NATO is beefing up its missile defense shield in Eastern Europe with radars moving closer to Russia's borders.
On May 13 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg broke the ground for a construction of the US-led missile defense site in Redzikowo, Poland. The day before that the US and NATO officials gathered in Romania to launch another anti-missile site.
In their speeches at the event they made assurances that the system does not threaten Russian security.
RT: NATO officials say that those missile defense systems are aimed at deterring potential attacks from countries like Iran and North Korea. How real is that threat to Europe?
Lode Vanoost: Well of course this is totally ludicrous. This is part of a long-standing policy of NATO and the US to isolate Russia ever since the end of the Cold War, the end of the first Cold War, I might now say. These weapon systems are developed, designed and conceptualized twenty years easily before they are even installed. This is part to a long-standing policy. To even claim that it has nothing to do with Russia is totally ludicrous. Of course, this is aimed against Russia’s security. The thing is I totally understand these protests. What this does indeed as making the security – these countries are becoming more dangerous as they will become targets in an eventual war. Just because these systems are there.
The thing is that since the end of the Cold War, one of the big fears of the US - the people that are empowered there - is that Europe might realign its priorities. The EU itself was made to end perpetual war within Europe. Now, if you are serious about peace between Eastern European countries and Russia, then you would develop economic relations with them. Now, this is precisely the opposite. And the reason why the US is so adamant in installing this is to keep Europe aligned with its Trans-Atlantic alliance against Russia. It is nothing else. Of course, there is also the drive of the armaments industry in the US… that also has to do with everything. But basically this is very old policy that goes back there. It is a copy of what happened during the first Cold war. And that these people protest – you cannot blame them. You shouldn’t forget that this is typically done by governments who spend a lot on so-called ‘defense’ – we could also discuss the term itself - but not on social policies. To put this as not aimed at Russia is totally ludicrous.
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