“NATO is not a development institution, NATO is a tool of confrontation,” the official stressed when asked if Moscow is concerned about the possible accession of Finland and Sweden to the Alliance.

His statements took place with the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels as background aimed at analyzing the proposals for legal security guarantees presented by Moscow to the United States and the bloc.

Peskov pointed out that Russia will not negotiate these initiatives for possible bilateral commitments from a position of strength and said that there can be no ultimatums in this process, the TASS news agency reported.

“The situation reached such a critical line in terms of pan-European security and our country’s national interests, which are an integral part of Europe and the European security architecture that, unfortunately, it cannot be delayed any longer and it is necessary to respond in a specific manner to the concerns we expressed,” Peskov said.

According to the local press, the meeting in Brussels began in a fairly friendly atmosphere and before the beginning, the head of the Russian delegation and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Grushkó, shook the hand of the US Undersecretary of State, Wendy Sherman, and collided the fist with the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, and the permanent representatives of 30 countries.

Stoltenberg called the Russia-NATO Council meeting, which has not taken place in two and a half years, as a timely occasion to address both sides’ concerns about European security.

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