What is the purpose of the military reform which is currently conducted in Russia?
Closer cooperation with NATO? AK: No, the purpose of the military reform, if there is one, has nothing to do with cooperation. In fact, we never expected to have military cooperation with anybody. We don’t cooperate with anybody. We don’t have any real allies. We should clearly realize that. Military reforms are always launched in connection with some events outside the country, because armed forces exist to counter external threats. The purpose of the current reform is not cooperation, especially with NATO, because it started after the war with Georgia when Russia-NATO relations were at their worst. RT: What about the upcoming reform of NATO? Can Russia benefit from it? AK: There aren’t enough details so far and NATO hasn’t adopted its new concept yet. RT: Why do some Russian politicians and experts advocate closer ties with NATO? What is their rationale? AK: I repeat, hypothetically this cooperation could be a great advantage, if NATO could protect us from China. The problem with the
