NATO, Russia have 'fundamental' differences over Ukraine - diplomat
MOSCOW. June 8 (Interfax) - The outgoing director of NATO's Information Bureau in Moscow, Robert Pszel, has said NATO has "fundamental" differences with Russia over Ukraine.
"None of our countries wants confrontation, but the rhetoric is terrible, and the disagreements over, of course, the annexation of Crimea and Russian actions in Ukraine are no longer tactical but fundamental. That is very serious - Russia's actions have become a problem for the international architecture of security," Pszel told Russia's Kommersant FM radio.
There are many problems, for example terrorism, that are harder for the West to solve without Russian participation, he said. "There is a price that we are paying ourselves, the sanctions for example. That is true, we admit it. It was difficult for NATO to do. NATO didn't want to interrupt its cooperation, it had been useful, but, unfortunately, there was no other option," Pszel said.
"I don't agree that Russia is the same as the Soviet Union. But unfortunately, the Russian politics have elements to them that are reminiscent of the old times. Why, for example, are military means considered the most important means in politics? That isn't true. The world is different," he said.