NATO, which was created during the Cold War, has not transformed itself under the modern realities and continues living in a paradigm of bloc confrontation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Mir 24 TV channel.
He recalled that NATO was created during the confrontation between two blocs, but now there aren’t any ideological differences between the countries, including in Europe. "But these birthmarks of the Cold War, they are very visible in NATO. This organization continues living in a paradigm of bloc confrontation," Putin noted.
According to the president, the North Atlantic Alliance remains very ideological, "despite various statements" that it should transform under modern conditions: "We have heard many such statements, but still we don’t see any real transformation," he pointed out.
Speaking on the parallels between NATO and the CSTO, Putin said that "we have another atmosphere of organization" compared with NATO.
He stressed that the CSTO was created already in the new conditions and is aimed at combating such modern threats as terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and transborder crime. The Russian leader noted that the CSTO does not make "joint clearly political statements" and all decisions are taken by a true consensus, rather than a formal one.
