MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/. NATO seeks to artificially lure new members, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference Friday.

"The US and NATO openly stated its course as containment of Russia and China; attempts to artificially expand NATO’s membership continue-by pulling Ukraine, in particular. Recently, the US and NATO leadership made rather interesting statements that the Scandinavian states that are not members of the alliance, will be welcome. This is a kind of artificial luring, expansion of this structure, which lost the point of its existence after the end of the Cold War and the disappearance of the Warsaw Pact. Attempts to artificially prolong all this continue," he said.

On December 17, 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry published draft agreements on security with the US and NATO. In particular, the agreements include NATO’s rejection of eastward expansion, including by admission of Ukraine, as well as restrictions on the deployment of a serious offensive weapon, including nuclear ones.