The current state of relations between Russia and NATO can be described as a “direct confrontation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He claimed that the US-led military bloc has been a destabilizing force in Europe rather than ensuring the continent’s security.
He made his comment on Thursday, as the bloc marked 75 years since the signing of its founding document, the North Atlantic Treaty.
Since the start of the Ukraine conflict, NATO has provided Kiev with billions worth of military aid and weaponry, as well as sharing intelligence and helping to train Ukrainian troops.
“The bloc itself is already involved in the Ukraine conflict. NATO continues to move towards our borders, expanding its military infrastructure towards our borders… In fact, our relations have now descended to the level of direct confrontation,” Peskov said at a press-briefing.
He stated that the organization had been created as an “instrument of confrontation” in Europe, and is fulfilling its purpose to the detriment of the entire continent.
“NATO continues to fulfill its purpose, which currently, however, in no way contributes to security, predictability and stability on the continent, but on the contrary is a destabilizing factor,” Peskov explained.
Multiple Western leaders have warned that Russia may attack NATO once the Ukraine conflict is over. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed those claims.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that talk of a potential Russian attack on NATO countries is simply propaganda by their governments aimed at scaring their own population to “beat the money out of them.”
Moscow has for years voiced concerns about NATO’s expansion toward its borders, viewing the US-led military bloc’s policies as an existential threat. However, it has also warned that NATO’s more pronounced involvement in the Ukraine conflict, in particular, the possibility of a troop deployment to the front lines, would be seen as an intervention. This, according to an earlier statement by Putin, would take the conflict “one step shy of a full-scale World War III.”
Western Powers ‘Destroying Foundations of Strategic Stability,’ Russian General Staff Chief Says
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov has said that Western countries are consistently destroying the foundations of strategic stability and international security institutions.
"Recent events testify to the West's consistent destruction of the fundamental foundations of strategic stability and international security institutions," Gerasimov said at the opening of Thursday's meeting of the Committee of Chiefs of Staff (CCS) of the armed forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which is being held in Moscow.
He noted that today's meeting of the CIS military commanders "takes place against the backdrop of the rapidly changing military and political situation, which tends to become more complicated." According to Gerasimov, "not without external influence, hotbeds of tension are emerging in various corners of the planet, and international terrorism, supported by shadowy sponsors, remains a global threat to the world."
"In these conditions, the challenges to the commonwealth countries are becoming more real and diverse, which obliges us to have well-equipped and trained armed forces," he added.
He called it symbolic that today's joint work began with a tour of the exhibition of modern weapons, as well as military and special equipment used during the special military operation.
"I am sure that acquaintance with the achievements of the Russian military-industrial complex and promising developments implemented in the military sphere was interesting and useful for you," Gerasimov said.
Later during the meeting, he suggested analyzing the military-political situation in the world and on the borders of the commonwealth countries, to discuss the issues of creation and development of joint military systems in the CIS format, to consider the directions of combat training and field training of troops taking into account the experience of combat operations in modern conditions, to discuss other issues of multilateral military cooperation of mutual interest.
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