"For some reason, NATO infrastructure must constantly be expanded and moved closer to the Russian borders. Did this emerge yesterday? Now they are accepting Montenegro. Who is threatening Montenegro? Therefore, this is complete disregard towards our position in everything," Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
He also called Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty an issue.
"An outside threat, an outside enemy is needed, otherwise why is this organization [NATO] needed?… If we continue following such logic, act to escalate and intensify efforts to scare each other, then one day we may come to a Cold War. We have a completely different logic, it is aimed at cooperation and search for compromise," the Russian president stressed.
