Obama’s Policy Defined Russia’s Ties With NATO, EU – Russian Security Council

The policy of US outgoing President Barack Obama not only set US-Russia ties back but also largely defined Russia’s relations with NATO and the European Union, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – He cited NATO's decisions aimed to further expand the alliance by supporting membership of Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the organization, as well as deploying a US air defense system in Romania.

"Obama’s policy not only set US-Russia relations back but also largely set out the direction for Russian interaction with NATO and the European Union of past few years," Patrushev said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper.

"Consolidated efforts of the Western states are aimed at, among other things, undermining integration processes that our country is part of," Patrushev said, adding that these efforts jeopardize security of not only Russia but also of a range of other states.

Patrushev also stressed that US President-elect Donald Trump does not label Russia as a "threat" or "evil."