JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin said the United States (US) does not consider Russia as an opponent or enemy, but NATO, an organization created by the US, is preparing for war with Russia.
In his annual question-and-answer session and year-end press conference in Moscow, Putin stressed that in addition to being the "creator of NATO," the US is also a "key player and main sponsor" of the defense pact.
"All the main resources (of NATO) come from the US. Money, military technology, weapons, ammunition - everything comes from there. That's the foundation," he said, quoted by ANTARA from Sputnik, Friday, December 19.
However, when the US no longer considers Russia an enemy based on its latest national security strategy, NATO is still preparing for war with Russia, Putin said.
"What is this? Can you read? How do you direct NATO to go to war with Russia if the main NATO country [the US] does not consider us an opponent or an enemy?" he said.
Putin also alluded to NATO Secretary-General (Sekjen) Mark Rutte, who he described as a smart and systematic figure.
However, Putin said Rutte's statement on the war against Russia raised questions and asked the NATO Secretary-General to read the new US national security strategy.
In his speech at the Munich Security Conference in Berlin, Germany, on December 11, Rutte warned that Russia could attack NATO countries in the next five years.
"We are Russia's next target," he said, as quoted by Anadolu.
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