US Turned NATO Into Force That Carries Out Washington's Military Agenda - Anti-War Group

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2022) NATO became an organization devoid of a purpose after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but the United States decided to continue building the alliance and turned it into a force that executes Washington's military agenda, United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) coordinator Joe Lombardo told Sputnik.

Over the past several months, relations between the United States and NATO on the one side and Russia on the other have been characterized by heightened tensions over the alliance's plans to expand further eastward, including in Ukraine. Russia has said such a move by NATO represents a threat to its national security and will not permit it, but has emphasized that it does not plan to attack any country.

"It is good that some of the NATO member states are opposed to the belligerent move on the part of the United States in Ukraine," Lombardo said. "NATO had no purpose after the fall of the Soviet Union but the US continued to build it with countries all over the world and it became simply a force to carry out the US military agenda around the world as in Afghanistan. I don't think the people of Europe want war with Russia and this puts pressure on their governments."

Lombardo said he believes it is important that Russia does not back down from its position for Ukraine not to become part of the alliance and for NATO and US troops to withdraw from the former Soviet states and the former Warsaw Pact countries as it was agreed to in 1990.

"The United States is not very good at keeping its side of these agreements as we have seen with its withdrawal from the JCPOA agreement with Iran, various nuclear agreements and virtually every treaty it signed with the US indigenous peoples," he said. "If it is allowed to continue to break agreements, this will continue to happen and none of us will be safe."

On Wednesday, US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan delivered Washington's response to Russia's security proposals for Europe. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia is reviewing the response, but stressed that the United States left the main question about NATO non-expansion unanswered.

Moscow published its security proposals for NATO and the United States in late 2021 as tensions concerning Ukraine reignited. Russia requested guarantees that the alliance would not expand eastward. The United States has insisted it will not allow anyone to slam NATO's open door policy shut.

When asked whether it is still possible to prevent a not war, Lombardo said, "Yes, I think there will not be a war, despite the propaganda and the aggressive moves on the part of the United States and Ukraine.

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"I think this just helps them sell more weapons and try to get concession," he said. "It is best that there not be concessions or the US will do this over and over again until there is an accident that can lead to real war, even a nuclear war."

On Monday, a Defense Department spokesperson said that 8,500 US troops had been placed on heightened alert over the situation regarding Ukraine.

"The US putting 8,500 troops on high alert is just another threat," Lombardo said. "It should be condemned by everyone."

Lombardo went on to say that the pro-war propaganda in the United States is constant and hypocritical.

"They claim that Russia is aggressive for having troops on its own territory, but NATO and the US are not aggressive by surrounding Russia, holding 'war games' near the Russian border and bringing missiles to the border," he said. "The US corporate media always says the Russian troops are on the Ukrainian border, not the Russian border. The image of most in the United States is that Russia is threatening to invade Ukraine and the US is supporting Ukraine's rights. It is very difficult for the truth to be heard in the United States."

Lombardo noted that he had visited Ukraine twice in recent years and shared the witnessed the effects of the US regime change operation there that resulted in a radical, anti-Russian government with Nazi-fascist elements.

"The US played a major role in the 2014 coup in Ukraine that brought in a very right-wing, pro-fascist government that is very anti-Russian," he said. "I have been in Ukraine twice in recent years and I watched one of the fascist torched-lit marches where they chanted 'Hang the Russians from the trees.' This is in a country that might be majority Russian. Now the United States is trying to use this right-wing force against Russia and that is a danger to the entire world."

Lombardo pointed out that Ukraine has a larger border with Russia than any other European country and the United States is trying to use that reality to its geo-strategic advantage.

"The United States wants to be able to use Ukraine to further surround and threaten Russia militarily. Just as the United States refused to allow this during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Russia must not allow this," he said.