The Kremlin expressed concern on Friday over NATO’s desire to establish a military version of the Schengen Zone in Europe, which would allow NATO’s armed forces to move around freely to counter Russia.
Lieutenant-General Alexander Sollfrank, chief of NATO’s logistics command JSEC, stated in an interview with Reuters that he would like to see such a zone. He emphasized concerns about bureaucratic hindrances across Europe that could slow down troop movements, particularly in the event of a conflict with Russia.
Despite NATO’s active support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, NATO itself is not at war with Russia, as U.S. President Joe Biden and other Western leaders want to avoid confrontation with Russia due to its significant nuclear arsenal.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Moscow would respond if the proposal for a “military Schengen” became a reality, stating that it would only further increase tensions in Europe and have consequences.
Peskov emphasized that Europe’s willingness to boost its own security at the expense of Russia’s legitimate concerns was evident in the idea of building a “military Schengen,” and expressed concern over NATO’s continuous movement of military infrastructure towards Russia’s border.
He pointed out that since the end of the Cold War, NATO has expanded about 1,000 kilometres eastwards, taking in former Warsaw Pact countries like Poland and the Baltic nations and extending the length of the alliance’s eastern flank to around 4,000 kilometres in total.
He warned that this continuous movement towards Russia’s borders is causing concern and may lead to retaliatory measures to ensure Russia’s own security.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Gareth Jones)
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