Russian MFA: NATO returned to Cold War-era schemes

The outcome of NATO's Madrid summit showed that the alliance has returned to the military security schemes of the Cold War period.

According to RBC, this was stated by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko at a discussion at the Valdai Club.

"The main conclusion that we may draw is that NATO has completed its evolutionary somersault since its establishment in 1949 and returned to its original schemes of military security during the Cold War," said Alexander Grushko, deputy foreign minister of the Russian Federation.

"I would like to say, of course, that the results of the summit will be subjected to a very thorough analysis both from the political point of view and the military one, including from the angle of taking necessary measures that should ensure 100% legitimate security interests and defence capabilities of Russia," Grushko said.

According to him, the recognition of Russia as a threat to NATO is the alliance's bid for confrontation on all fronts: "Russia itself is recognized as a threat to the alliance, that is, the existence of such a state as Russia is recognized as a serious threat to the alliance. This is a very serious turn, this is a real bid to confront us, to contain Russia already on all fronts, in all spheres."

The deputy foreign minister emphasized that NATO, having defined China as a threat to its interests at the summit in Madrid, questioned the right of this country to develop as one of the poles of the multipolar world: "What point still needs to be emphasized - this qualification of China as a threat to the values, interests of NATO. And this is a very significant turnaround."

Grushko believes that the prospect of Finland and Sweden joining NATO is the saddest episode of European security.