German Social Democrat Michael Roth, chairman of the German Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, said Dec. 19 that Russia’s initiatives on security guarantees, in particular, Russia’s demand that NATO stop its eastward expansion, are unacceptable. “First, I am glad that, obviously, we are currently at a stage when initiatives are advanced that can be discussed. But this proposal, of course, is unacceptable. It won’t do,” he said in an interview with the Deutschlandfunk radio station.
According to Roth, Eastern European countries are not what he insisted was a Moscow geopolitical “sphere of influence.” “Once again: This is a free choice of these societies to share our values and I will be glad if people and politicians say: Yes, we want what you guarantee to your citizens – democracy, the supremacy of law, the freedom of expression, free and independent courts, effective anti-corruption struggle, a working market-oriented economy, prosperity for many,” he said.
