NATO and Russia made little progress in settling their disputes during the alliance’s summit in Bucharest this week. But the two sides insisted the Cold War is over and that they are open to compromise. Outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin was present in Bucharest during the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit this week for a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on April 4. Talks at the Council meeting were described as “positive”, but major issues of contention between the alliance and Moscow such as NATO enlargement, the missile defence shield to be set up in Europe, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces, and Kosovo remained unsettled.

Both Putin and US President George W Bush gave assurances that the “Cold War is over” (Bush) and “a return to the Cold War is in nobody’s interests” (Putin). During a press conference on April 4, Putin insisted on the necessity of defence cooperation between NATO and Russia — a necessity stemming from the fact that “nothing can be done without Russia, one of the largest nuclear powers.”

NATO and Russia signed a deal “facilitating land transit through Russian territory of goods to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)” in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 on Afghanistan, which encourages neighbouring and member states (of Afghanistan) to “provide such necessary assistance as may be requested, including the provision of over flight clearances and transit.” But Russia did not grant access to its air space, and most goods allowed to transit cannot be of a military nature. The deal seemed to come in support of Putin’s claim that the battle in Afghanistan and the fight against terrorism cannot be won without Russia.

During the Council meeting, Putin also declared that Russia could return to the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE), but only if “NATO countries are ready to make concessions as well,” especially on issues that are “sensitive” for Russia. Moscow withdrew from the treaty in December 2007, in protest against US intentions to deploy a missile defence shield in Central Europe, and because of Western insistence that it should pull its armed forces from territories in Moldova and Georgia.

To Russia’s anger, NATO endorsed the US plan to deploy elements of the shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. Furthermore, the alliance agreed to take it upon itself to complement the US system in order to cover those parts of Italy, the Western Balkans, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey left uncovered by the initial US plan. Even more, the US announced on April 4 that it had successfully tested central elements of the missile shield during the first day of the NATO summit.

Putin seemed open to negotiations during his Bucharest visit. During the Munich security conference in February 2007, the Russian President had accused the US of trying to establish a uni-polar world. “The US has overstepped its borders in all spheres — economic, political and humanitarian,” Putin had said at the time. Washington too expounded a more conciliatory attitude during the summit. According to Wayne Thompson, a US-based specialist on NATO affiliated with the College of Europe in Bruges , “the Bush administration has learned that the only thing worse than working with allies is trying to work without them.” — IPS