"We are ready to convene the NATO-Russia Council meeting, we have actually invited Russia a long time [ago]. So far, Russia has not responded positively, and therefore there has not been any meeting ... I met with Minister Lavrov at the UN during the UN General Assembly not so many days ago and we were not able to agree to convene a new meeting of the NATO-Russia Council," Stoltenberg said at a press conference on Thursday.
He argues that the NATO-Russia Council is not being held due to Russia's unpreparedness. “It is very important to sit down at the negotiating table for discussions, especially in the times of heightened tensions that we are witnessing now,” concluded Stoltenberg.
NATO’s decision to withdraw accreditation of eight members of the Russian mission is not related to any "particular event," Jens Stoltenberg said.
"We have withdrawn the accreditation of eight members of the Russian mission to NATO who were undeclared Russian intelligence officers. This decision is not linked to any particular event but we have seen over some time now an increase in Russian malign activity," Stoltenberg told a press conference.
On 6 October, NATO said that accreditations have been withdrawn for 8 members of the Russian Mission, "who were undeclared Russian intelligence officers."