NATO Not At War With Russia Despite Supply Of Weapons To Kiev - Military Chief

The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said on Tuesday that the alliance is not at war with Russia, despite the supply of weapons to Ukraine

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2022) The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said on Tuesday that the alliance is not at war with Russia, despite the supply of weapons to Ukraine.

"NATO is not at war with Russia. I have to be very clear about that. If Russia would attack one of our allies, then it is absolutely clear, and we make that as clear as we can to Russia, that we will defend every inch of the allied territory, and then Russia and NATO will be in a conflict. But until that moment, NATO not in war with Russia," Bauer said in an interview with Estonian broadcaster ERR.

The admiral added that NATO had long viewed Russia as a partner with whom there were disagreements, but the alliance is now considering the country as a direct threat.

According to Bauer, NATO is supporting Ukraine as part of a comprehensive package that was agreed at the recent high-level summit in Madrid, which includes supplies of drones and other equipment to Kiev.

Moscow denounces the flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, saying that it adds fuel to the fire. In April, Russia sent a note to NATO member states, condemning their military assistance to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on the Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.