Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the European Affairs Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, confirmed that Russia is open to dialogue with NATO provided that it adheres to the principle of indivisibility of security.
Maslennikov said in an interview with the “Novosti” agency: “We have repeatedly stressed that we do not intend to attack NATO allies, and that we are open to dialogue, provided that it is based on respect for our interests and the basic principles of international security, the most important of which is the principle of indivisibility of security.”
According to the Russian diplomat, the Western alliance, by nature, tends towards confrontation and seeking to achieve its interests by force. Maslennikov expressed doubts about the alliance’s willingness to cooperate in order to enhance security and stability.
“In fact, NATO cannot continue to exist without an external enemy, so it is constantly searching for an enemy,” he said.
The Russian leadership has previously described the allegations about a possible Russian attack on NATO as not only nonsense, but a provocation, noting that the West is using false statements about an alleged Russian military threat to justify its accelerating militarization.
