MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. The United States considers NATO a tool to protect its interests alone, to the detriment of the security of European states, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday at a briefing for military attaches of foreign countries.

"The security situation in Europe continues to be seriously affected by NATO activities. The United States views the North Atlantic alliance as one of the tools to protect, namely, US interests on a global scale to the detriment of the security of European countries," Gerasimov noted.

Practical steps on the rapid integration of Sweden and Finland into the alliance show that Washington endeavors to bring NATO as close to Russian borders as possible through involvement of new satellites using the far-fetched threat allegedly coming from Russia as an impetus, the Chief of the General Staff said.