Russia protests establishment of NATO naval command regional headquarters at German Navy base in Rostock

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador to Moscow on Tuesday to protest the establishment of a NATO naval command regional headquarters at the German Navy base in the northern city of Rostock.

The ministry said in a statement that Moscow is taking this action as part of a "gradual revision of the outcomes of World War II and the militarization of the country."

"This constitutes a flagrant violation of the spirit and letter of the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, dated September 12, 1990 (the '2+4 Treaty'), particularly Article 5, paragraph 3, which obligates Germany to prevent the stationing of foreign troops on the territory of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR)," the statement emphasized.

Earlier on Monday, NATO formally inaugurated a new naval command center in Rostock, which the military alliance claimed will be used to coordinate its operations in the Baltic Sea.

The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded "immediate and comprehensive explanations from Berlin," likening the situation to Germany's 1936 remilitarization of the Rhineland in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles.

According to the statement, both European politicians and their supporters in Washington appear to suffer from "historical amnesia," ignoring the devastation caused by Paris and London's tacit approval of Hitler's actions in the 20th century, which were driven by hostility toward the Soviet Union.

"At this historical juncture, former Western allies of the anti-Hitler coalition not only endorsed Berlin's breach of a key international agreement but also became direct participants in this violation," the ministry added.

The statement concluded by warning that the expansion of NATO's military infrastructure into the former GDR would have severe consequences and would not go unanswered by Russia.