OREANDA-NEWS.NATO is having intense and open discussions with Russia, said Jens Stoltenberg, the organization’s general secretary, in an interview with a French newspaper on Monday.

Answering a question about the proposal of French President Emmanuel Macron to strengthen dialogue with Moscow, Stoltenberg noted that NATO "is already conducting this dialogue with Russia on an institutional basis". “We are conducting it on the issue of arms control, on the issue of reducing risks, on the topic of transparency and on other topics”, said the NATO Secretary General.

Stoltenberg once again made a statement that Russia allegedly violated the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty). “But we are having intense and open discussions with her”, he said.

The INF Treaty was terminated on August 2, 2019 at the initiative of the United States. Washington explained their actions by Russia's refusal to comply with the American ultimatum demand to destroy new 9M729 type cruise missiles, which, according to the United States and its NATO allies, violate the provisions of the treaty.