Russia questions Nato sincerity after leaks – minister

Russia’s foreign minister questioned Nato’s sincerity yesterday after leaked US cables revealed a plan to protect the Baltic states from a Russian threat, Russian news agencies reported.

“With one hand, Nato agrees with us on joint partnership but with the other hand it takes the decision that it needs to defend itself,” Mr Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow, quoted by the Interfax news agency.

“When is Nato more sincere?” Mr Lavrov asked. “We have asked these questions and await answers. We think we have the right.”

US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks whistleblowing website and published in Western newspapers yesterday revealed that Nato extended an existing defence plan covering Poland to include Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Foreign ministry officials read some of the WikiLeaks documents and paid “special attention” to the report on Nato, Mr Lavrov said.

A foreign ministry source on Tuesday had expressed puzzlement at the revelations, saying they contradicted a joint Russia-Nato declaration not to use force or threat of force against each other, signed at a November summit.