Dr Solomon Passy spoke with Zoran Kosanović for Al Jazeera about Russia’s demand that Europe returns to the 1997 partition and for NATO to withdraw from the east.

It is worrying that Russia owns lands in Bulgaria on the Black Sea.

One day, if Russia becomes a democracy, it will be welcomed in NATO. NATO has not declined democratic countries, when they meet the conditions for membership.

Russia’s request for NATO that Europe returns to the 1997 partition is a very illusory request.

NATO is only a guard. NATO is not an aggressive structure. Not once in NATO’s history we have provoked, attacked or threatened Russia on our common borders. Fearing that you have a common border with NATO is the same as fearing that you have a common border with your neighbor.

The full interview can be found here.