NATO does not rule out abandoning fundamental pact with Russia

"Within the alliance, the future of the Russia-NATO Founding Act was discussed. All Allies fully agree that Russia is violating the NATO-Russia Founding Act", - Smith said.

According to her, all allied countries share this opinion, believing that NATO is now “in a position” where no one “is obliged to take into account what is written in the Russia-NATO Founding Act” when deciding on the future alignment of forces. .

Earlier, other NATO representatives expressed a similar position. In early May, the alliance's deputy secretary general Mircea Geoana declared the alliance's "right" to strengthen the eastern flank due to Russia's "cancellation" of the Founding Act, concluded 25 years ago. According to him, the alliance is no longer bound by obligations to Moscow on the non-deployment of forces in Eastern Europe. He referred to the Russia-NATO Founding Act, one of the clauses of which refers to the "prevention of any concentration of conventional forces", especially in Central and Eastern Europe.

It's worth reminding that we are talking about a document suggesting non-expansion of the alliance in the eastern direction. In particular, the Russian delegation referred to this point during the talks in January. The State Department said it was impossible to return the alliance within the boundaries of 25 years ago, noting that this means the exclusion of accepted members.