BRUSSELS, September 13. /TASS/. The North Atlantic alliance (NATO) believes that Russia is its ‘most significant and direct threat’ now, and the threat will remain in the long-term perspective, according to the alliance’s expert meeting on Russia.

"The gathering, which was chaired by Acting Deputy Secretary General Boris Ruge, reaffirmed that Russia remains the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security. Participants stressed that Russia seeks to fundamentally reconfigure the Euro-Atlantic security architecture and that the threat posed by Russia will persist into the long term," the statement says.

It also says that "Russia’s behaviour will not deter Allies’ resolve and support to Ukraine."

Besides, the experts claimed that Iran’s alleged supplies of ballistic missiles to Russia "represents a substantial escalation."

Moscow and Tehran have repeatedly rejected allegations of the supplies of Iranian weapons to Russia and their use in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Iran had not delivered any ballistic missiles to Russia and that the United States and Europe relied on misleading information.