NATO Will Define Russia As Direct Security Threat - Secretary General Stoltenberg

Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO intends to identify Russia as a direct security threat in its new strategic concept at the Alliance summit in Madrid (Spain), which will be held June 29-30.

He said this at a press conference on Monday, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"I expect that Allies will state clearly that Russia poses a direct threat to our security, to our values, to the rules-based international order," he said.

Stoltenberg noted that Russia avoids the partnership and dialogue that NATO has tried to establish for many years.

“So the meaningful dialogue we worked for so many years…that's not on the table, that's not working, simply because of Russia's behaviour. They have chosen confrontation instead of dialogue. We regret that, but of course then we need to respond to that reality, he said.

The Secretary General recalled that at the summit in 2010, where former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was also present, the Alliance agreed on the current strategic concept, according to which the Russian Federation is a strategic partner, but a new concept will be adopted at the upcoming summit.

He pointed out that back then the Alliance accepted that Russia is a strategic partner.

“That will not be the case in the Strategic Concept we will agree in Madrid. I expect that Allies will state clearly that Russia poses a direct threat to our security, to our values, to the rules-based international order,” Stoltenberg said.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Stoltenberg confirmed that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was invited to the NATO summit, which will be held in Madrid at the end of June.

Earlier, Stoltenberg said that the NATO summit in Madrid would change the Alliance forever.