Zakharova questioned the relevance of NATO as a "defense bloc"

NATO cannot call itself a defense bloc for a long time, as the expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance has spread to the continents where "it was never there before". Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said this on November 27, answering Izvestia's question.

"Who ever claimed that NATO is a defense bloc? I don't know how this can be seriously commented on at all when we see NATO's serious offensive and expansion on all fronts, whether it's the actual expansion of the bloc, whether it's expansion into different regions of Europe or the Atlantic. Their interests extend much further, to those continents where they have never been before," the diplomat said at the briefing.

She added that the whole world has seen "really aggressive campaigns" of NATO to destroy states. As it was, in particular, in Libya and Afghanistan.

"We saw the use of noble pretexts, as it was in Afghanistan, and the use of the mandate of the UN Security Council, and absolute dysfunction, which led to the emergence of even worse problems on the territory of Afghanistan than before NATO's stated desire to restore order there," Zakharova recalled.

In this regard, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman noted, she would not give the bloc a definition of "defense" as it is quite obvious that "it has aggression stitched both at the level of documents and actual activity."

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov already gave his assessment yesterday. He said that the alliance has thrown away all decency, and the true intentions are being announced already publicly," Zakharova added.

"NATO makes no secret of its intentions to turn Romania into an anti-Russian outpost"

Russian Ambassador to Bucharest Vladimir Lipaev - on militarization of the Black Sea region, trade between our countries and blacklists

Earlier, on November 26, Russian Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov said that NATO is accelerating its penetration into the Arctic and Baltic regions. In addition, the alliance is trying to expand its combat capabilities in the Black Sea and gain access to the Caspian Sea. According to Bortnikov, the military threat from NATO is steadily increasing.

On November 13, it became known about the official opening of a U.S. missile defense base in Poland. On the same day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it an attempt to contain Russia's capabilities. He noted that such actions are a confirmation that Russian President Vladimir Putin is right about the plans that continue to be implemented.

In addition, Putin, speaking at the plenary session of the Valdai Club on November 7, called NATO the only remaining bloc in the world and a blatant anachronism. He noted that the alliance, which has lost its relevance, violates international norms and its own principles.

The West regularly stirs up hysteria among the citizens of its countries, warning of an allegedly imminent war with Russia. The Russian leader has repeatedly stated that there is nothing of the sort in the country's plans.