Kremlin spokesman says NATO is weapon of confrontation, not dove of peace

NEW YORK, January 16. /TASS/. NATO is a weapon of confrontation rather than a tool of peace and stability and it is getting closer and closer to the Russian borders, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with CNN that was aired on Sunday.

According to the Kremlin spokesman, the current situation did not develop overnight, it has been developing for decades. "In our understanding, NATO is an organization that was tailored and was created for confrontation, not for defense," he said.

"NATO is not a dove of peace, not a dove of stability, not a dove of prosperity. NATO is a weapon of confrontation. And this weapon of confrontation with each year started to get closer and closer to our borders," Peskov noted, adding that Russia has been observing "the gradual invasion of NATO into Ukrainian territory with its infrastructure, with its instructors, with supplies of defensive and offensive weapons."

"And that brought us to the red line that brought us to the situation when we could not tolerate it anymore," he stressed.

Situation in Russia-NATO relations

Relations between Russia and NATO has approached the red line due to the alliance’s movement in Ukraine, Peskov said.

"With the time being, we have seen the gradual invasion of NATO into Ukrainian territory with its infrastructure, with its instructors, with supplies of defensive and offensive weapons. And that brought us to the red line that brought us to the situation when we could not tolerate it anymore," he stressed.

"And that was the main reason for President [of Russia Vladimir] Putin to say: ‘Guys, this is a real threat for us. And this is a real threat for stability and security in European architecture. Let’s find a way out, let’s produce some guarantees for us, let’s think about returning NATO’s military infrastructure back to the borders of 1997, let’s get rid of the idea of Ukraine’s membership in NATO and also let’s get rid of the idea, let’s abandon the idea of the deployment of any offensive weapons on the territory of Ukraine next to our borders," he said.

Peskov spoke with CNN in English.