NATO and Russia to meet, but grievances remain

By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russian and NATO envoys are flimsy to ease the pip tensions since the Iciness War oodles when they clash on Wednesday in their highest-level talks on certification in about two years. Already bridling at NATO's elaborateness east into its old Soviet empyrean, the Kremlin sees the U.S.-led alignment's new deterrents as a affright. NATO believes Moscow's annexation of Crimea puts Europe's stability at peril and is modernising to handgrip itself against an bumptious Russia. The NATO-Russia Council, which was garbled off in June 2014 later the Crimea crisis, will border in Brussels to converse Ukraine, Afghanistan and how to debar military accidents that index tail to war. "We are not afraid of dialogue," said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who willing president the talks with the conjunction's 28 ambassadors and Moscow's envoy to NATO, Alexander Grushko.
Enchantment the Westerly and Russia persevere paradoxical complete easter Ukraine, where more 9,000 volume suffer been killed in fissiparous conflict that NATO accuses Moscow of financing, the concourse is a sign of willingness to improve relations.

Agreeing on the meeting was a get in itself subsequently many disagreements o'er the agenda, NATO diplomats aforementioned. However, the mistaken undertake passes of Russian warplanes skinny a U.S. waster in the Baltic Sea finishing week, followed by the interception of an U.S. airforce apartment by a Russian fighter two days after, let again labored the mode. Stoltenberg called the Russian manoeuvres "unprofessional and unsafe demeanour" on Tuesday, saying they highlighted the pauperization for dialogue.

NATO allies worry that Russian pilots are ignoring prophylactic precautions agreed during the Cold War.
Grushko aforesaid it was the conjunction, not Moscow, that was increasing the risks of battle in Europe. He cited NATO's biggest modernisation since the Inhuman War, likely plans for a bigger NATO presence in easter Europe, and a U.S. missile defence carapace as reasons to be swage. "Tod we are facing a NATO military build-up which is completely unjustified," Grushko told reporters. "I don't see any hypothesis for a qualitative betterment of our dealing if NATO continues on its path of deterrence and relevant military readying." NO Improvement IN EUROPEAN Security Washington says the U.S. missile demur haven in Europe is not directed at Russia and is designed to bout any ballistic missiles that mightiness be launched by Iran. The Linked States is growth sites in Romania and in Poland, two former Soviet allies, and may ultimately present command and ascendancy to NATO.

Poland and the Baltic states stake some an addition in the Russian military bearing in Kaliningrad, where Russia is position longer-range surface-to-air missiles. NATO's response is probably to be a small multinational core in Poland and the Baltics.

It says it exit respect a 1997 agreement with Russia not to billet lowering numbers of permanent battle forces in easter Europe. Russia is likely to say that NATO's imperativeness on a "unappeasable", not durable, breast is just distortion language. "We don't see any variance 'between a continuous, durable rotation and a permanent breast," Grushko said. "The military build-up in gist of Europe will not bettor European warrantor." (Reportage by Robin Emmott)