MOSCOW. March 29 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's political and military leadership should amend the nation's military development plans due to NATO enlargement, Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee Viktor Zavarzin told Interfax-Military News Agency Monday.
"We have to amend our military development plans due to NATO actions," the legislator said. "Within its deterrence commitments in the North-West of Europe, Russia has already unilaterally reduced its force there by 40 percent. At the same time, NATO places warplanes, radars, there, and sets up military infrastructure."
"Russia has to respond adequately," he urged.
"We should show that the Russian Armed Forces can defend the nation," he said. He urged for a raise in the military spending.
Zavarzin added that acting politically, Russia should address individual NATO members, as well as the Alliance as a whole, because, for example, as far as operation in Iraq is concerned, NATO member states have different views, and this country should use it.
"Having worked as Russia's envoy to NATO for four and a half years, I say that it is possible, although difficult, and necessary to work with NATO," the general said.
He recalled that the State Duma was preparing a special address on the NATO enlargement. The maiden version considered late last week was rejected as too mild. The chairpersons of the Defense, International Affairs, and Security Committees have unanimously said that the tone of the document should be tougher.
Russia has to voice its view of NATO enlargement to all European legislators and to all the Alliance.
"We have and will object to NATO enlargement and we think that this enlargement is a strategic mistake of the bloc's military and political leadership," he said.
"Russia does mind placing NATO warplanes in the Baltic, as well as the fact that the new NATO member states have not declared readiness to joint CFE Treaty. We hardly need 'gray zones' near our borders - the Baltic states where military movements cannot be monitored because these are not CFE Treaty members," he emphasized.
He said that parliamentary hearings on CFE Treaty were due in May and expressed hope that the Baltic states would have clarified their positions by then.