MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. NATO’s super-aggressive stance toward Russia has already been publicly declared by the alliance, dispelling misconceptions about its defensive nature, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told the Izvestia daily, adding that if it extends to the development of the Baltic region, countermeasures will follow from the Russian side.

The diplomat noted that the recent meeting of NATO defense ministers "was marked, among other things, by the release, for the first time in many years, of a separate, albeit short, public statement by the Nuclear Planning Group," which repeatedly, as Ryabkov emphasized, declared the nature of NATO as a whole. "This is a reflection of the alliance’s overall super-aggressive attitude toward Russia," he stressed.

"The idea that NATO is a defensive alliance can no longer mislead anyone. This thinking is a thing of the past, even for NATO members themselves. If it extends to the development of our neighboring territories in this way (and the Baltic region as a whole is our focus), countermeasures will follow. And the security of these countries, to put it mildly, will be weakened," the official noted.