MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Friday that NATO’s adoption of a new Russia-focused strategy confirmed that Moscow’s decision to sever ties with the bloc had been correct.
NATO defence ministers agreed a new master plan this week to defend against any potential Russian attack on multiple fronts, reaffirming the alliance’s core goal of deterring Moscow despite a growing focus on China.
Days earlier, Russia cut relations by shutting its diplomatic mission to NATO and the alliance’s mission in Moscow after NATO expelled eight Russians accused of spying.
“There is no need for dialogue under these conditions and (the adoption of) such a concept by NATO confirms it once again,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a briefing.
“Russia has never had any illusions about NATO. We know the nature of this alliance… This alliance was not created for peace, it was conceived, designed and created for confrontation.”
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)