Grushko Explains How NATO Creates an Enemy Image To Justify Its Existence

Nov. 20, 2022 (EIRNS)—On Nov. 14, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Sputnik International that “NATO is such an organization that cannot live without an enemy. Without an enemy it will die. The most important [for it] is to create an image of the enemy and moving toward borders of this potential enemy.”

His analysis was echoed today by Dmitry Suslov, deputy director of the Center for European and International Studies at Russia’s Higher School of Economics, whom Sputnik described as saying that “NATO needs external enemies in order to justify its very existence and for the purpose of keeping its allies disciplined; fanning the flames of tension around the world comes naturally to NATO, as it is not just a collective defense organization, but an institutionalization of American hegemony.”

Sputnik reported the comments of Earl Rasmussen, executive vice president of the Washington-based Eurasia Center. Rasmussen, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army, said that

“NATO is no longer a defensive oriented alliance, NATO has been searching for a mission since the fall of the Soviet Union. A look at the past 30 years or so will show that NATO members have been involved in offensive actions against Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Syria, etc. Furthermore, the dogged expansion of NATO eastward was driven by the goal of containing Russia.... [I]n effect, the Cold War never ended, it just took on a different form.”

Sputnik went on:

“At this point, finances weigh in heavily. Back in the Cold War era, demonization of the Soviet Union played an immensely important role in justifying the defense expenses by the United States and also other members of NATO, Dmitry Suslov recalled. What we are witnessing now is a direct continuation of that line. Dangling the scary image of Russia as a ‘deadly enemy’ to the Western world and to NATO allows Washington to justify the increase in defense spending.”

It concludes its analysis:

“Having a permanent enemy justifies the existence of NATO and, accordingly, provides significant windfall for the Military Industrial Complex, Rasmussen told Sputnik. He added that U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his farewell address in January 1961, warned Americans of the dangers of the military-industrial complex, but his words of wisdom failed to be heeded.”