Speaking to students at the Oxford University earlier this week, Stoltenberg said, in particular, that Moscow has misunderstood NATO's expansion to the east, according to RIA Novosti.
He added that he does not "get it when someone in Russia says that NATO's expansion in the Central and Eastern Europe is a provocation; it's not about NATO, it's about Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Hungary expressing their will to join the alliance."
He went even further by saying that "Russia should relax and accept the fact that the neighbors can choose their own way."
Konstantin Sokolov, for his part, did not mince words when commenting on Stoltenberg's rhetoric.
"Mr. Stoltenberg advised us 'to relax.' When a senior official uses similar slang, it indicates his intention to hide the truth. As a military leader he should have said clearly that NATO forces are actually approaching the Russian borders and that Russia should retaliate. With the West calling Russia 'an aggressor', Stoltenberg hides NATO's aggressive actions behind this rhetoric," Sokolov said.
According to him, Stoltenberg returning to the issue of NATO's eastward expansion can be seen as propaganda.
"Of course, his latest public statement on Russia is first and foremost propaganda and the creation of a certain public opinion rather than an action plan for the military. That's why Stoltenberg has to turn to history, otherwise these issues can become arguments against NATO's expansion," Sokolov said.
Since 2014, NATO has been building up its military presence in Europe, especially in Eastern European countries neighboring Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in the Ukrainian conflict as a pretext.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims, warning NATO that the military buildup on Russia's borders is provocative and threatens the existing strategic balance of power.
