Moscow: NATO chief tries to mask alliance problems

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has criticised NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, comparing him to a travelling salesman trying to “sell militarisation” while “putting on a good face for a bad game”.

At a briefing, ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova highlighted growing NATO military spending and worsening economic conditions among alliance members, Caliber.Az reports, citing TASS.

“Europeans are being pushed in this dead-end direction by both the United States and NATO leadership, including Mark Rutte personally, who, like a travelling salesman, goes from capital to capital, doing everything he can to sell the idea of militarization, justify it, or come up with something new, just to push Western European countries towards the abyss,” Zakharova said.

She added that Rutte’s statements appeared “at least unconvincing against the backdrop of transatlantic relations experiencing their sharpest crisis in recent years.”

“This indicates that things in the North Atlantic bloc are far from as rosy as Rutte tries to present, as he attempts to put on a good face for a bad game,” Zakharova noted.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov