NATO's idea of creating a "military Schengen" is responsible for rising tensions in Europe

Photo: REUTERS/ Ints Kalnins

The Kremlin sees such statements as a development in the alliance's confrontation with Russia, the presidential press secretary said.
MOSCOW, 24 November. The Kremlin sees the announcement of the possibility of a NATO "military Schengen" as a development in the alliance's confrontation with Russia. Such intentions increase tensions in Europe, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Asked whether the Kremlin viewed the statement by the head of NATO's Joint Support and Logistics Command (JSEC), Lieutenant General Alexander Solfrank, about the need for a NATO "military Schengen" as a risk of armed conflict between Russian Federation and Europe or as a development of the alliance's confrontation with Russia, Peskov stressed the latter was "more likely".

"The Alliance has always considered our country a conditional enemy. Now it considers our country a clear enemy. This is nothing but an escalation of tensions in Europe, which has consequences," the Kremlin official said.

Peskov pointed out that Europe abstracts from the principle of indivisible security, NATO enlargement cannot lead to retaliatory measures by the Russian Federation.

(TASS/JaV)