Putin criticises US foreign policy
Putin has attacked the US' use of military force
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Saturday, 10, Feb 2007 11:05
Russian president Vladimir Putin has accused the US of fostering insecurity among members of the international community.
Addressing a security conference in Germany today, Mr Putin pointed to the US' "almost uncontained hyper-use" of military force as the key destabilising factor damaging the world's prospects for peace.
"This is very dangerous, nobody feels secure anymore because nobody can hide behind international law," the Russian president said. Thinly-veiled references to the US' military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan underpinned his speech.
The latter country has seen the deployment of Nato forces since the US-led coalition ousted the Taliban from power in 2001, continuing the steady eastward progress of the security organisation since its original raison d'etre ended with the fall of the Berlin wall.
"The process of Nato expansion has nothing to do with modernisation of the alliance or with ensuring security in Europe. On the contrary, it is a serious factor provoking reduction of mutual trust," the Associated Press news agency quoted Mr Putin as saying.
Mr Putin's comments came after German chancellor Angela Merkel said that Iran needed to ensure that it did not become increasingly isolated over its ongoing dispute with western nations about its nuclear ambitions.
Ms Merkel, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said that there was "no way around" achieving transparency on Iran's nuclear uses.
The international community fears that the Iranian government is seeking to develop a nuclear arsenal despite insistent claims from Tehran that its only goal is to improve its civil energy provision.