07.11 NATO Tactics Left Ukraine in ?Gray Zone’ Between West and Russia: Atlantic Council Chief
MOSCOW, November 7 (RIA Novosti) - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its Wales summit held in September has left Ukraine in a so-called gray zone between Russia and the West and has only intensified tensions, Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe said in an assessment for the World Economic Forum (WEF) report.
“The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at its Wales Summit drew a ?red-line’ around alliance countries, but that left others in a ?gray zone’, where they were neither part of the West nor belonging to Russia: Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine,” the WEF said, quoting Kempe’s words.
According to Kempe, Russia’s alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict has brought relations with the West to a low point, while the Western response has created new uncertainties that have only worsened the situation.
Kempe said that US President Barack Obama’s response to the events in Ukraine and the Middle East raises questions about the country’s role in the global politics.
Relations between Russia and the United States have deteriorated amid the Ukrainian crisis, as Washington repeatedly accused Moscow of meddling in Ukraine’s internal affairs.
Since the beginning of the military conflict in Ukraine in April, Kiev and the West have been accusing Russia of sending troops and weapons to independence supporters in Ukraine’s southeastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. However, the United States and its partners have never supported their accusations with any evidence.
The United States has introduced several rounds of economic sanctions against Russia and has persuaded its allies to add Russian companies and individuals to their own blacklists.
In April, NATO ended its cooperation with Russia, only maintaining contacts at the ambassadorial and higher levels.
During NATO's summit in Wales, its leadership openly announced a buildup of the alliance's military capabilities.
Moscow has repeatedly denied any involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, and on the contrary, has played a vital role in the de-escalation of the crisis.
