MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. The North Atlantic Alliance continues its propaganda campaign on the European population, accusing Russia of interference into other countries’ affairs, but forgets to mention who is really to blame for the growing confrontation on the continent, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Wednesday.
"Unfortunately, the alliance continues its information propaganda on the population of Europe, convincing them that it is our country and its aggressive stance that is the source of instability on the continent. Recently, NATO Secretary General [Jens Stoltenberg] used a meeting of the 73rd session of the Northern Council for this, where he reiterated again the accusations of our country’s interference into the affairs of other countries, which has already become a bad tradition of his, while he did not provide any evidence or facts," she said.
According to Zakharova, the NATO secretary general just used "proven and well-tested cliches for agitation in favor of increasing NATO activity in the northern latitudes. Apparently, [its purpose is] for dragging Finland and Sweden into the militarization process of the Arctic region, turning it from an area of cooperation into a space for geopolitical competition," Zakharova added.
The diplomat drew attention to who is actually to blame for the increase in confrontation in Europe. "This is not Russia, but NATO allies have done everything to create dividing lines on the continent. The facts tell us that. They have destroyed the key elements of ensuring Euro-security," she noted.