THE Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) condemned a new parliamentary report yesterday for “ratcheting up tensions” between Nato and Russia and urged an end to “cold war thinking.”

CND general secretary Kate Hudson slammed this week’s Commons defence committee report that called for Nato to beef-up its military presence in eastern Europe. 

Proposals include stationing military equipment in the Baltic states, establishing new command structures and the consideration of a standing reserve force.

The publication of the report comes as Nato increases the number of military exercises in the region.

British forces are due to take part in exercises in Poland in August and October.

Ms Hudson questioned how that was supposed to promote peace and diplomacy.

“Nato’s expansion in eastern Europe and its provocative military exercises are a hugely destabilising force in the region,” she said.

“The defence committee’s knee-jerk call for ratcheting up Nato’s presence there would only further exacerbate tensions. 

“It is outrageous that in the 21st century we are left with not only the infrastructure of the cold war but the mentality.”

However, CND welcomed the fact that the report recognised that there was little support in Nato member states for military conflict between Nato and Russia.

The report highlighted calls from Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Norway to remove US-Nato tactical nuclear weapons from their territory, while a poll from 2008 showed populations in a number of Nato countries would be unwilling to engage in military action in eastern Europe.