Putin's chief of staff: Ukrainian crisis is "definite advantage" for NATO
MOSCOW. Sept 22 (Interfax) - NATO has obviously made use of the Ukrainian situation, Kremlin administration chief Sergei Ivanov said.
"This [the Ukrainian situation] was worth the sharp exacerbation of the relations between our European and North American partners and Russia. Somebody has made use of it. For instance, it was a definite advantage for NATO," Ivanov said in an interview published by Rossiyskaya Gazeta on Monday.
After the so-called successful operations of the alliance or some of its member countries in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria, "a new threat" has emerged in the person of Russia, he pointed out.
"So, let us consolidate, close our ranks and so on and so forth and let us forget all of the above as unfortunate missteps," Ivanov said, speaking of NATO.