Retired Russian General Staff Colonel: We Should Stop Saber-Rattling

Russian military expert Col. (ret.) Mikhail Khodarenok, a former officer in the Chief-of-Staff headquarters, made a rare statement against the general perception among Russian media and experts of the Russian-NATO confrontation. Speaking on the governmental Russia 1 TV channel on February 14, he said that Russia should stop its "saber-rattling" and develop a well-thought-out foreign affairs doctrine, which would allow Russia to emerge from the "state of strategic isolation" in which it finds itself today. Following this statement, Khodarenok was not given a further opportunity to participate in the course of the entire one-hour program.