Lavrov: “Unacceptable” to Have US and NATO in Neighboring States or Central Asia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that any NATO military presence in Central Asia and neighboring States will undermine the security of the Russian-led bloc in the region.

The minister made his comment at an Afghanistan-themed summit in Tunxi, China.

“We believe it’s unacceptable to have any US and NATO military infrastructure, or their Afghan helpers, on the territory of neighboring states, especially in Central Asia,” Lavrov said, adding that “such designs go against the security interests of our countries.”

RUSSIA’S LAYING OUT STAKES

Neighboring states include China, Japan, North Korea, Mongolia, Estonia, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia.

Russia’s border also includes the United States. There are only 3,750 meters separating Russia and the U.S. The border between the countries passes through the water in the Bering Strait in between the Diomede Islands. Ratmanov Island (Big Diomede) belongs to Russia. Krusenstern Island (Little Diomede) belongs to the U.S.

Central Asia extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the border of western China in the east. It is bounded on the north by Russia and on the south by Iran, Afghanistan, and China. The region consists of the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.

This is what making Russia our enemy looks like. Thanks, Joe. Thanks, Democrats.