Russian diplomat slams NATO-EU monolithic reply for undermining member states’ sovereignty

The NATO-EU reply to Russia’s request on indivisible security, essentially violate the sovereignty of their member states, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Tuesday.

"In fact, this is the development of the scenario that we keep talking about, when many Western states - NATO and EU members - have simply lost their sovereignty, or, should we say, had it borrowed somewhat," the diplomat said.

"The responses were provided not by those whom the letters were sent to. Sometimes that happens given the today’s circumstances, you write to one recipient, and another replies. This sort of looks like a joke, but such things do happen. We’ve written to each national state, to each foreign minister, but, for some reason, we received replies from [NATO Secretary General Jens] Stoltenberg, [EU High Representative Josep] Borrell, who replied for everyone. This is truly an amusing situation and, in many regards, an incredible one," Zakharova noted.

Therefore, Zakharova contended the leadership of NATO and the EU had prevented their member states from talking to other states on a national level and that "truly takes away" their sovereignty.