NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described attempts to isolate Russia as senseless in an interview with the Dagbladet newspaper.
"There is no strategic partnership between NATO and Russia, which for the most part was built after the Cold War. There’s no return to the Cold War. Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and will always play an important role in the UN. Thus, there’s no sense in Russian isolation," TASS cited him as saying.
Commenting on the Ukrainian crisis, Stoltenberg said that NATO "is focusing on the positive aspects of the situation".
He also stressed the need to resolve the conflict in Syria. At the same time, Jens Stoltenberg said that the determination of the features and key details of such a solution is not a NATO task.
Stoltenberg stressed that Russia and the United States should discuss possibilities for "constructive cooperation" and agree on measures to avoid "growing tensions or dangerous situations due to the increased Russian presence" in Syria. "If Russia is going to support Assad, it cannot be considered a constructive solution. If the Russian Federation intends to join the international coalition to fight Islamic State, it can be a constructive contribution from its part," the NATO Secretary General concluded.
