NATO Secretary General Worried About Russian Spy Activities In The Alliance

NATO (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is concerned about Russia's spying activities within the Western military alliance.

According to Stoltenberg in an interview with Germany's largest newspaper, Bild, Russian intelligence agencies have been operating across European countries for years.

"We also see efforts to increase their activity, but of course NATO allies monitor and follow this very closely," he said, quoting Antara.

NATO, he said, had taken a number of steps to prevent Russia's security intelligence agency from committing illegal acts around or within member states.

Stoltenberg said that some Russian personnel in the past were expelled from NATO headquarters amid allegations of espionage.

"We also expelled, for example, Russian personnel from NATO headquarters because we saw them carrying out activities that were not actually diplomatic work but intelligence work," he said.

Russia built a diplomatic mission with NATO in 1998. The mission was suspended after cooperation under the NATO-Russia Council was suspended in 2014.

In related news, Stoltenberg warned Europe not to try to act alone in the defense field after comments by Republican Republican Republican Donald Trump sparked new debate over whether the continent could continue to rely on protection from the United States.

"We have NATO, and NATO is the basis for European security, and NATO has been able to protect all NATO allies for 75 years," he said.

"NATO is meant to bind Europe and North America together," he added.

"So as long as we are united, we are safe," said the leader of the Western military pact, asserting.