Russia says NATO, at 75, has returned to Cold War mindset

Russia says NATO has returned to a Cold War mindset as the alliance marks its 75th anniversary this week.

“Today, in relations with Russia, the bloc has returned to Cold War settings,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova tells reporters.

She says that NATO has no place in the “multipolar world” that Moscow says it seeks to build in order to end US dominance, but that it remains the focus of Russian attention.

President Vladimir Putin launched what he called his “special military operation” in Ukraine in 2022 with the stated aim of preventing NATO from expanding its footprint close to Russia. But the war has served to galvanize the alliance, which has expanded to 32 members by admitting Finland and Sweden.

NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels today to discuss proposals that would give the alliance a more direct role in coordinating the supply of arms, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine.

Western governments say they are helping Ukraine fight for its survival in the face of Russia’s invasion. Zakharova says NATO’s history was “full of aggressive adventures that brought wars and destruction to many nations,” and its anniversary is no cause for celebration.