«Sometimes it’s necessary to remind people of old news, as various individuals tend to invent all sorts of nonsense about neighboring countries,» says political analyst Marat Shybutov, who decided to remind everyone of the facts that should cool off propagandists talking about the expansion of Western influence in Kazakhstan through NATO exercises and biolabs.

On his Telegram channel, the expert deliberately recalls these forgotten but real facts:

June 15, 2005: The first regional NATO center in Russia was established at the Volgograd Academy of Public Administration.

The NATO Information Centre on International Security Issues operates within the framework of the Volgograd Academy of Public Administration. Legally, it is a structural unit of this university. The North Atlantic Alliance provides only financial, informational, and organizational support for the center’s activities.

June 29, 2012 — The Russian government officially allowed NATO to use air transit through Ulyanovsk.

The Russian government officially authorized the use of both ground and air transit through Ulyanovsk for weapons and military equipment of the Western coalition in Afghanistan.

In March, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov explained that through the Vostochny airfield in Ulyanovsk, NATO would transport not only so-called non-lethal, i.e., non-military, cargo.

August 1, 2012 — Putin to paratroopers regarding the NATO center near Ulyanovsk: «Let NATO sit there and fight. Why should we expose lads like you?»

The President said that NATO is fighting terrorism and drug trafficking in Afghanistan. If it becomes turbulent in Afghanistan, there will be no peace on our southern borders. Then he added with a squint: «If they believe they need it and this is an important task, let them do it, and we will help them in any way we can. Let NATO sit there and fight. Why should we expose guys like you? I wouldn’t want Russian soldiers to carry out these tasks in Afghanistan. Therefore, we allowed NATO to organize a temporary transit center here,» the President said. — But that doesn’t mean we have full understanding with NATO. There are several questions, including the EuroPRO, where we have not yet found compromises. We will look for them.»