• ABOUT US
    • History
    • Our Team
    • Advertising
    • Subscription
  • CONTACT US
Georgia Today
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business & Economy
  • Social & Society
  • Sports
  • Culture
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business & Economy
  • Social & Society
  • Sports
  • Culture
No Result
View All Result
Georgia Today
No Result
View All Result

Stoltenberg: We see that Russia, with its actions against Georgia, Ukraine and other countries, has tried to re-establish spheres of influence

by Georgia Today
June 9, 2023
in Politics
Reading Time: 2 mins read
NATO Chief Pledges New Packages of Support for Partners, Including Georgia

“NATO and Western NATO allies we really tried to create and to establish a better relationship with Russia after the end of the Cold War. We established the NATO-Russia Council, we had the Founding Act between NATO and Russia and, both NATO, individual Allies and the United States, of course, really made a lot of effort in those decades to really change our relationship with Russia,” stated NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

He noted he was part of that in his previous capacity as a Norwegian politician for 10 years, also as Prime Minister.

“In Norway, in the High North, we were actually able to develop a good working relationship, good cooperation, with Russia. I met President Putin many times we discussed everything from energy projects up in the Barents Sea to the limitation and we negotiated and agreed in the Barents Sea environment, fisheries, we had a lot of cooperation up in the north. And I strongly believed in the NATO idea of deterrence, defense and dialogue.

“But then Russia has deliberately chosen another path. They didn’t really have the courage to really engage and to try to build down historical differences. That has been possible before: The Nordic countries, the Swedes and the Danes, and the Finns and the Norwegians, we used to fight for centuries and we are now best friends in the world. And if we look at the rest of Europe, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, they also used to be different sides of wars that have ravaged Europe for centuries, and now they’re best friends and allies in NATO and the European Union.

“So of course, it was right to hope for something similar to happen in our relationship with Russia. But then, gradually, we saw that Russia was walking away, with actions against Georgia, Ukraine and other countries, where it tried to re-establish spheres of influence where big nations control what small nations can do. And then NATO gradually, of course, needed to emphasize more not dialogue, but deterrence and defense, and in particular since 2014. So you can always have a kind of academic discussion – that’s important – about what could have been different. But the overall picture is that we really tried, from the NATO side, to engage with Russia. Fundamentally, what President Putin really is afraid of is not NATO, but he is afraid of free democratic societies which are undermining his power base in Moscow. And that’s one reason why he doesn’t want to see a successful, free independent, democratic Ukraine: Because that really challenged his idea of how to govern and rule and to remain in power in Russia,” Stoltenberg stated.

Tags: NATONATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
ShareShareTweet

Related Posts

SSG confirms former Prosecutor General was summoned
Politics

SSG confirms former Prosecutor General was summoned

September 22, 2023
Bruno Tertrais. Image source: RFE/RL
Newspaper

Don’t Discuss Cooking Recipes with a Cannibal – Bruno Tertrais on How to Defeat Putinism

September 22, 2023
Photo by Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Newspaper

Ukraine Updates: Zelensky Calls for Russia to Lose UN Veto Power; Moscow’s Losses Rise in South

September 21, 2023

Recommended

Georgian Foreign Minister Holds Farewell Meeting with French Ambassador to Georgia

Georgian Foreign Minister Holds Farewell Meeting with French Ambassador to Georgia

12 months ago
Natia Mezvrishvili on Dealing with 2 Political Giants

Natia Mezvrishvili on Dealing with 2 Political Giants

1 year ago
Giorgi Gakharia: We were Told We Were Capable of Nothing – It’s All a Lie and Ukraine is a Great Example of This

Giorgi Gakharia: We were Told We Were Capable of Nothing – It’s All a Lie and Ukraine is a Great Example of This

2 years ago
GT Interview with Giorgi Badridze

GT Interview with Giorgi Badridze

2 years ago
Russo-Ukrainian War and Georgia – Analysis from security expert Kakha Kemoklidze

Russo-Ukrainian War and Georgia – Analysis from security expert Kakha Kemoklidze

2 years ago

Navigation

  • News
  • Politics
  • Business & Economy
  • Social & Society
  • Sports
  • Culture
  • International
  • Where.ge
  • Newspaper
  • Magazine
  • GEO
  • OP-ED
  • About Us
    • History
    • Our Team
    • Advertising
    • Subscription
  • Contact

Highlights

Where.ge To Hold Panel Discussion on Sustainable Tourism Development in Georgia

Georgia Ranks 65th in the World in Digital Quality of Life

UNM Chair calls on citizens to gather on Rustaveli Avenue

Physical confrontation between the opposition and Georgian Dream MPs in Parliament

TBC and Bank of Georgia to comply with int’l sanctions, regardless of the decision of NBG

NBG makes exception in sanctions rule, allowing Ex-Prosecutor General Partskhaladze to retain access to accounts

Trending

No Content Available
  • Where.ge
  • Newspaper
  • GEO
  • Magazine
  • Old Website

2000-2022 © Georgia Today

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business & Economy
  • Social & Society
  • Sports
  • Culture
  • International
  • Where.ge
  • Newspaper
  • Magazine
  • GEO
  • OP-ED
  • About Us
    • History
    • Our Team
    • Advertising
    • Subscription
  • Contact

2000-2022 © Georgia Today