NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance’s ties with Russia are at their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

“This is due to Russia’s aggressive actions. I am confident that the NATO leaders will confirm our dual-track approach to Russia, strong defence combined with dialogue”, Stoltenberg told reporters ahead of the Alliance’s summit in Brussels.

At the same time, Stoltenberg noted that NATO strives for dialogue with Moscow, a fact, he said, is not a sign of weakness.

“Dialogue is actually a sign of strength as long as we are united, as long as we are strong, then we can talk to Russia”, the secretary-general said.

Meanwhile, the NATO’s S.G. said that there is no new Cold War with China but the western allies will have to adapt to the challenge of Beijing’s rise.

“We’re not entering a new Cold War and China is not our adversary, not our enemy,” Stoltenberg told reports after a NATO leaders’ summit.

“But we need to address together, as the alliance, the challenges that the rise of China poses to our security.”

Source: Agencies