“The reckless expansion of NATO, the build-up of the alliance’s potential on the so-called Eastern flank, the deployment of US missile defence systems in Europe, the illegitimate sanctions under imaginary pretexts — all these things have led to a crisis of confidence in the Euro-Atlantic”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.
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According to the diplomat, Washington is also creating new risks for Europe by attempting to "bury the INF Treaty".
EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini, who met with Lavrov on the sidelines of the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan, addressed the issue, stating that the INF Treaty must be preserved as it is key to European and global security.
"The High Representative stressed that the Treaty is key to European and global security and that it is in all our interests that the Treaty is preserved and fully implemented," the EU External Action Service (EEAS) press service said in a statement.