MOSCOW, October 7 (RIA Novosti) - Cuban revolutionary leader and former president Fidel Castro has slammed NATO, referring to recent statements by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, for making incredible efforts to promote war against Russia.
"Yesterday I listened to the statements of the new Secretary-General of NATO, a former Prime Minister of Norway, who took office six days ago. How much hatred he has in his face! What incredible efforts to facilitate a war against the Russian Federation! Who can be more extremist than the IS [Islamic State] fanatics? What religion do you practice? After all this, would you be able to enjoy eternal life in God's hands?" Castro said in his latest article published in Spanish on Tuesday.
Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, took office as NATO chief October 1.
On Sunday, Stoltenberg told the Polish broadcaster TVP Info that the Western alliance has a strong army and may deploy it wherever it wants. Later, a spokesperson for NATO told RIA Novosti that that alliance would not confirm Stoltenberg’s exact words, adding that the chief was referring to NATO forces in general, "which of course can be deployed on the territory of the Alliance as Allies decide."
On Monday, the new NATO chief said that the alliance's plan to beef up its military presence in eastern Europe does not violate a post-Cold War deal struck with Russia on military force levels in the region.
Relations between Russia and NATO have been strained since the alliance accused Russia of meddling in the Ukrainian situation, a claim that Russia has repeatedly denied.
Following Crimea's reunification with Russia in March, NATO boosted its military presence close to Russia's borders, specifically in Poland and the former Soviet Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern over NATO's increased military presence in the country's neighboring states.
