NATO Distorts Facts on Relations With Russia - Russian Mission to NATO

NATO promotes a distorted picture of its relations with Russia and influences Western public opinion, silencing Russian efforts in strengthening European security, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to NATO said.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The Russian mission stressed that NATO aims to persuade the public that the alliance was the one that contributed to strengthening European security, but does not mention any critical comments on its own actions with regard to the military operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Libya.

"Recently, NATO has been publicly promoting a simplified 'black and white' picture of the history of complicated relations between the alliance and Russia, accusing Russia of 'myth-making' about NATO's 'impeccable' actions," the mission said in a statement published on its official website.

The mission stated that there have been no constructive proposals from the NATO side that would help to overcome current "highly risky tendencies" in the development of military-political situation on the continent. Besides, the statement stresses, the Russian efforts to strengthen the security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic area have been repeatedly ignored by the alliance.

The mission then outlined its own facts on NATO-Russia relations allowing an "impartial observer" to look into the situation in an unbiased way and to make own conclusions about what actually happened in the last decade in the Euro-Atlantic area.

NATO's relations with Russia deteriorated in 2014 amid the conflict in Ukraine. Following Crimea's reunification with Russia, the alliance boosted its military presence in Eastern Europe.

NATO has long accused Moscow of meddling in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has repeatedly denied these allegations and warned that NATO expansion may undermine regional security.

In April 2014, NATO ceased all practical cooperation with Russia, limiting contacts to ambassadorial and higher levels.