Commander: NATO Losing ‘Partnership Capabilities’ With Russia

© OTANNATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip M. Breedlove said that NATO losing ‘partnership capabilities’ with Russia
NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip M. Breedlove said that NATO losing ‘partnership capabilities’ with Russia - Sputnik International
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Peace in Europe depends on a constructive partnership with Russia, but NATO is currently adapting to a reality where they have lost partnership relations with Moscow, said NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip M. Breedlove.

WASHINGTON, September 15 (RIA Novosti), Leandra Bernstein - Peace in Europe depends on a constructive partnership with Russia, but NATO is currently adapting to a reality where they have lost partnership relations with Moscow, said NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip M. Breedlove.

"I don't think we can ever arrive at a Europe whole, free and at peace without Russia as a partner. So for the last 12 years we've been trying to make Russia a partner," said Breedlove during a Monday speech at the Atlantic Council. "Now we see a very different situation," he added.

In a brief interview with RIA Novosti, Breedlove was asked whether NATO's strategy of expansion was beneficial to the NATO-Russia partnership. "We're adapting NATO to a different future," he said. "The NATO force structure was well-adapted to the past where we saw great partnership capability. Now we see we have lost some of those partnership capabilities and we've agreed to adapt NATO to be better able to react to a situation where we are not in a partnership relation with some of the major players," Breedlove added.

Asked whether he views the eastern expansion of NATO over recent decades helped with the NATO-Russia partnership, Breedlove fundamentally disagreed. "I do not see anything we have done as offensive," he said, adding that NATO does not seek members, but nations ask to be members of the alliance.

In April, NATO suspended cooperation with Russia over Moscow's alleged role in the Ukrainian crisis, the claim Russia has repeatedly denied.

Russia has repeatedly expressed concern over the increasing NATO military presence close to its borders.

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