Relations between the United States and Russia have touched the lowest level since the end of the Cold War. Even as both sides continue to escalate their rhetoric over eastern Ukraine, Moscow said over the weekend that relations between the two countries were a “crucial factor for international stability.”
Russia and the U.S. can find solutions to the most complicated problems
President Vladimir Putin said in a message of greetings to his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on the occasion of Independence Day that despite some disagreements between the two countries, they should try to find solutions. Putin said such an outcome was possible by maintaining dialogue based on the principles of mutual respect and equitability.
The Russian President told Obama that the U.S. and Russia were capable of finding solutions even to the most complicated problems. On the other hand, the Kremlin has announced that Russian Navy will hold missile firing drills in the Pacific Ocean. It is the latest move by Russia to expand its naval presence to gain military parity with the United States.
Russia transforms the security landscape in Europe
The U.S. has stepped up military presence in eastern Europe to counter Russian aggression. Last month, Washington decided to send hundreds of tanks, howitzers, and other lethal weapons to the Baltics. NATO has accepted that the Ukraine crisis has transformed the security landscape in Europe, and they have to abandon the hope of a positive relationship with Russia, reports Reuters. Ever since Moscow annexed Crimea last year, some European countries have been dragged into an arms race.
Escalating tensions between Russia and the West has prompted NATO to rethink whether it’s time to rewrite its master strategy document. The document adopted by NATO leaders in 2010 says that there was a “low” possibility of a Russian attack on NATO territory. Last week, a Russian prosecutor-general’s office said it would review the 1991 Soviet decision to recognize the independence of Baltic states. It has alarmed NATO, even though Moscow has since sought to play down its significance.
