Spotlight: MSC debates witness significant differences on security between West, Russia

The annual Munich Security Conference (MSC) has seen intense debates on Saturday between top diplomats from western countries and Russia, showing significant differences between the two sides on major security issues.

MSC, the most important informal meeting on security policy, entered its second day on Saturday, welcoming representatives of countries that are standing in focus of the global security, including Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Speaking during a Prime Ministers' Debate, Medvedev warned of "new Cold War," saying the West often uses deterrent means and its policy against Russia is "unfriendly," which has resulted in a break-down of dialogue between the two sides.

Medvedev criticized the expansion of NATO and EU influence into Eastern Europe.

"European politicians thought that creating a so-called belt of friends at Europe's side, on the outskirts of the EU, could be a guarantee of security, and what's the result?" he said. "Not a belt of friends but a belt of exclusion."

Speaking of Russia's role, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said earlier in a statement that "we have seen a more assertive Russia, a Russia which is destabilizing the European security order."

"NATO does not seek confrontation and we don't want a new Cold War. But at the same time our response has to be firm," Stoltenberg added.

Different positions on Syria and Ukraine have undermined the relations between Russia and the West. Both sides posed sanctions against each other.

Speaking of the conflict in Syria, Kerry stressed in his speech the need to negotiate a political solution to the issue, but insisted that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must step down.

Medvedev, who had visited Syria before the conflict started, told the conference that Syria was once a peaceful country, and it would have the chance to continue to enjoy the fruits of economic development if there was no external influence.

"People from the U.S. and European countries said al-Assad must go... but the country has been in a state of war for years... Who should be blamed for that?" he further said.

According to the prime minister, the world can not afford another Iraq or Afghanistan, adding that modern democracy is not realized in these countries. The region, instead, has seen wars and terrorism, which forced people to leave their homeland.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, in a head-to-head debate with Medvedev, pressed Russia to stop bombing civilians in Syria while commenting on Russian actions in the war-torn Middle East country which is also facing terrorist insurgency.

"France respects Russia and its interests... But we know that to find the path to peace again, the Russian bombing of civilians has to stop," Valls told the conference.

Russia has been accused of causing civilian casualties since it started air strikes targeting the Islamic State (IS) four months ago.

Medvedev rejected on Saturday the accusations as "just not true."

"There is no evidence of our bombing civilians, even though everyone is accusing us of this," he told the security conference.

"Russia is not trying to achieve some secret goals in Syria. We are simply trying to protect our national interests," Medvedev said, adding that Moscow wanted to prevent militant extremists getting to Russia.

He stressed that the West and Russia had common enemies in Syria, namely terrorists, and the two sides should strengthen their cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

As for Ukraine, Kerry urged Russia to fully implement the Ukraine peace agreement reached in Belarus' capital Minsk last year. Otherwise, he said, Russia would continue to face damaging economic sanctions, although "sanctions are not an end in themselves."

Poroshenko, who made very emotional remarks on the Ukraine conflict in a panel discussion, accused Russian troops of having "occupied" his country.

Medvedev, in his earlier statement, stressed that the Minsk agreements "are the best way to solve the crisis in Ukraine" and "should be followed by all sides."

At the same time, Russia believes that their implementation depends, first of all, on Kiev authorities, he said.

The prime minister admitted that the West and Russia were holding different opinions, but also struck a more positive note, saying "our positions differ, but they do not differ as much as 40 years ago when a wall was standing in Europe."

The Iran nuclear talks, the UN's climate change summit in Paris as well as Thursday's Munich meeting on Syria, Medvedev noted, all showed that collaboration brought positive impacts.

Facing various challenges including terrorism and regional conflicts, cooperation instead of confrontation is needed, he went on to say, so that the world can maintain peace which was regained on the ruins after the WWII. Endit