MP: Russia To Look For New Allies, If Neglected By NATO, U.S.
Date: 9 January 1997

MOSCOW, Jan 9 (Interfax) - Russia will have to look for new strategic allies, if NATO and the United States do not fully consider its security interests, Duma Defense Committee Chairman *Lev Rokhlin* of the Our Home Is Russia faction said.

Rokhlin made this statement in an interview with Interfax in comment on the Monday Kremlin conference on NATO plans to expand eastward.

The tough stance on the issue taken by the Russian leadership is completely justifiable, Rokhlin said.

"The policy of the former Soviet Union as far back as under Mikhail Gorbachev resulted in a situation when we stopped reckoning with the West," Rokhlin said. "It was then that the idea was born to use Russia's weakness and complaisance to achieve such political, economic and military landmarks which would help prevent the reinforcement of our country's interests in Europe."

Russia should have taken an as tough as possible stance on the proposed NATO expansion eastward long ago and "do its best to restore the former Soviet Union in the form of a confederation or whatever," Rokhlin said.

If NATO expands eastward, it should provide Russia with security guarantees by signing a number of treaties, Rokhlin said. These documents should contain NATO obligations not to deploy nuclear arms on the territory of its new members, not to use their airdromes as outposts, etc.