However, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has backed the discussion on confidence-building measures with Russia
Earlier, in the context of discussing Ukraine’s prospects for NATO membership, he said that Russia was not entitled to its own “sphere of influence”.
“The idea of having a new conference where we would again discuss zones of influence, where the great powers could control what their neighbours could or could not do, would be a step backwards for us, and that is completely the wrong direction”, – Stoltenberg told the Journal de Dimanche newspaper.
Instead, the NATO secretary-general advocated discussing confidence-building measures, arms control, transparency in exercises and reducing tensions with Moscow.