MSC Chief: US weapons in Poland not a violation

Munich Security Conference chief Wolfgang Ischinger told Deutschlandfunk that positioning American weapons in Poland or the Baltics would not violate NATO -Russia agreements. The agreements, signed in 1997, stated that no new large army units would be introduced, says Ischinger. Ischinger stated that he agrees with the German decision to uphold the NATO-Russia agreement even after Putin’s annexation of Crimea. Despite Polish and Baltic demands, NATO has not agreed to sending permanent forces. “The storage of weapons in these territories would not be a violation of this agreement “ reasons Ischinger. He also pointed out that, either way, the US has yet to approve the plan. He urged the West to remain calm, stressing that NATO is more powerful that Russia, and spends far more on defense than Moscow. It is important for both sides to stop “flexing their muscles” and “resorting to inflammatory rhetoric.” The MSC chief expressed hope that next week’s meeting of NATO Defense Ministers would provide more answers for improving the West’s relations with Russia.