Europe bears brunt of Russia
A staff member hangs a US national flag before US President Joe Biden arrives for the European Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium, March 24, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
ROME - The eastward expansion of the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) toward Russia is a major root cause of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which could take a heavy toll on the European economy, an Italian economist has said.
NATO EXPANSION RED LINE FOR RUSSIA
Michele Geraci, former undersecretary of state at the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that the military alliance's moves have created two main problems for Russia.
"From the Russian point of view, NATO's expansion into eastern Europe is a breach of a promise" made in the 1990s, Geraci said.
"Second, Russia considers this expansion a threat to its territorial integrity and national security, so President (Vladimir) Putin for the last ten years has been saying that this is not acceptable, and that NATO has crossed a red line."
"Every country has its own red lines. For Russia, the red line was having NATO at its borders," he said.
NATO has gone through five rounds of enlargement to the east since 1999, increasing the number of its members from 16 to 30 and reaching the Russian border.
Related articles
- NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A 10-year-old Tennessee boy who was swept into a storm drain after severe we2024-05-22
Biden pledges 'relentless diplomacy' on global challenges
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here2024-05-22- New Cybertruck owners are bound to a contract that prohibits them from re-selling the EV before one2024-05-22
- When you think of Bali, the most popular Indonestian island, you imagine a tropical paradise home to2024-05-22
Fake elector case: Former Arizona GOP chair Kelli Ward and others set to be arraigned
PHOENIX (AP) — Former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward and at least 11 other people are set2024-05-22- With the Budget tipped to be the Chancellor’s last roll of the dice before a General Election, expec2024-05-22
atest comment