Russia-Nato: The ball is in the camp of anti-Nato groups

Russia's President Dimitri Medvedev participation in the NATO-Russia Council meeting on the second day of the Nato meeting in Portugal is seen as turning point in the anti-Nato's role played by Russia so far. However, what analysts and observers are missing is the bigger picture of the importance of Russia's agreement to hold the NATO-Russia meeting in the first place.

This historic meeting would never have happened a decade ago as it would have been considered as a sign of Russia's weakness. Today, Russia is a much stonger nation that has recovered from the flops of the "Glastnost' and the fall of the Communist empire. The Russian nation is seen as a state that could become a major challenge to the rise of the Nato as a global military force, not as a 'junior' partner that can be toyed with and this despite the obvious generalized antipathy the anti-nato and anti-war groups and movements as well as analysts and observers would have seeing Russia talking to Nato.

In the current global perspectives, where betrayal and back-stabbing even among states is not unusual, Russia had to take up the challenge of opening up its foreign policy radius; adding 'detente' towards Nato as one of the options to be considered in the future. it is not that Russia is not capable of dealing with Nato the rough way, but when your borders are not secured enough due to the betrayl of former USSR states and the role played by Georgia and Ukraine - before the Ukrainian regime change this year - not withstanding the role given to former USSR states inside Nato as geopolitical and military allies to the North Atlantic military force, Russia had to play wisely rather than react 'emotionally'.

Russia is not a 'communist' state with a closed door policy anymore as it is a modern state striving to reach new levels of success and commitment in the global quid pro quo status in which the major players on the globe has to have greater 'diplomatic' goals than ever. Moscow is not alone in this situation since China too has to deal with issues that need 'global' solutions rather than the ordinary and outdated 'localized' solutions. Both China and Russia are being cornered by Nato in an aggressive manner and this demanded a response. The Russian and the Chinese governments had the choice to make: Fight Nato on the ground and in the air to protect their borders and the states along side their borders or take a more diplomatic 'detente' approach? Now that 'detente' seem to have won, the world will have to live with the idea that Nato will grow but it will not 'dominate' both Russia and China since it cannot impose its will on these nations.

As a matter of fact, Russia's Medvedev played the famous 'chessboard' with the Nato during the NATO-Russia meeting giving in on a certain number of issues - including accepting Nato's role in Afghanistan - but makign it clear to the Nato command and by extention to the Pentagon that its territory is not to be taken for granted! It is also crystal clear now that Nato is being cornered instead to accept two facts: 1. Russia will not join Nato for the sake of the Nato's political-military agenda and 2. Nato will not be able to plot 'velvet' revolutions to undermine Russia's hold on Ukraine and on Ossetia, Abhkazia as well as part of the Arctic where the West is trying to play the 'bully'.

Russia altogether cannot accept to be 'isolated' while the rest of the world joins the Nato or supports the military organization under the table with the disguise that they are 'helping' in non-combat mode. Such hypocrisy by many states, including Muslim states that are the real targets of the Nato mercenaries, should end and Russia has showed how to end it: That is by dealing with the devil in a frank and direct manner!

While Russia has showed that it can be versatile and it can listen to the calls from Nato to join its growing forces - without joining it - the ball is in the camp of the anti-Nato and anti-war groups and movements as well as anti-Nato nations on the rapidly shrinking global space. Will these movements and nations continue to see Russia as a 'communist' state that is viscerally anti-West or will they embrace the new Russia built by former President Vladimir Putin?

In the event they prefer to remain on the fence, watching the globe being swallowed by the militarist forces - the real Mafia as it is called by Fidel Castro - or will they support Russia in its greater global role of playing the balance of power, alongside China, against the Nato? Being the new balance of power in the world does not mean raising an armed forces to fight senseless battles against the Nato, but instead it will mean a more comprehensive and diplomatic 'conflict resolution' approach that will give the anti-Nato movements and nations more strength, a strength that the Nato or the Pentagon cannot defeat!

As I said it twice already, the ball is in the camp of the No To Nato millions who are currently frustrated that Russia has made deals with Nato. What must be realized though is that Russia is playing a greater role in the Shanghai Corporation Organization (SCO) which is currently meeting.

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