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NATO Doesn't 'Protect Anyone' From Terrorism, Focuses on Russia Instead

© REUTERS / Ints KalninsPolish army soldiers take part in the "Saber Strike" NATO military exercise in Adazi, Latvia, June 13, 2016.
Polish army soldiers take part in the Saber Strike NATO military exercise in Adazi, Latvia, June 13, 2016. - Sputnik International
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The North Atlantic Alliance has turned into an organization largely focused on dealing with the non-existent threat emanating from Russia, while it should put every effort into tackling real challenges, political analyst Alexander Perendzhiev, a lecturer at the Plekhanov Russia University of Economics, told Radio Sputnik.

"I think that NATO's transformation is inevitable and a certain modernization of the bloc will take place after all. NATO at the moment is primarily an anti-Russian project, but many understand that the alliance must primarily be an anti-terrorist project. It must focus on countering real threats instead of imaginary ones. NATO is not working to achieve a desired result, the bloc is not protecting anyone from terrorism," he said.

Cossacks of Veshenskaya cossack village. (File) - Sputnik International
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However, the expert maintained that NATO's transformation is inevitable and "a certain modernization of the bloc will take place after all."

Perendzhiev further said that European elites are making every effort to convince ordinary citizens that they need NATO. He also suggested that there is a link between support for the alliance and public opinion with regard to the threat supposedly emanating from Russia.

"For instance, in Spain, which perceives the 'Russian threat' as something insignificant, fewer people support NATO than in Poland or Germany," he said.

© SputnikIs the EU capable of defending itself against external threats or does the union require the aid of the US and NATO to ensure its own safety?
Is the EU capable of defending itself against external threats or does the union require the aid of the US and NATO to ensure its own safety? - Sputnik International
Is the EU capable of defending itself against external threats or does the union require the aid of the US and NATO to ensure its own safety?

Perendzhiev's comments came in response to a poll conducted by IFop for Sputnik which found that more than half of respondents in six European countries, comprising France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, said that Europe needs NATO and the United States to ensure their security. Only 48 percent of Americans shared these sentiments.

Sergey Ermakov, a senior analyst at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, asserted that ordinary people are victims of a "propaganda" campaign. "The global world order is changing. This process has been accompanied by a propaganda war. Opinion polls show that ordinary people have fallen victim to this war," he said.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump referred to NATO as an "obsolete" organization since it has not been capable of protecting its members, most notably Germany, France and Belgium, from high-profile terrorist attacks. However, Trump said that the alliance was "very important" to him, reaffirming that the US is committed to the bloc.

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