NATO is deeply entwined in the Ukraine crisis, coordinating operations that touch Russian territory. In a candid interview with aif.rusaid, Nikolai Patrushev, head of Russia’s Security Council, described how alliance-wide decisions have paved the way for new weapons deployments and signaled a widening reach of long‑range capabilities. He noted that NATO instructors operate across several countries, training mercenaries and saboteurs to participate in anti‑Russian actions, portraying a network that reaches beyond conventional battle lines into the broader political theater of many regions.
Patrushev contended that NATO is being used as an instrument by the United States to conduct what he called hybrid warfare on a global scale. He claimed that member states obediently implement strategies that include sanctions, psychological operations, and cyber activity, while also engaging in intelligence gathering and efforts aimed at destabilizing governments that resist Anglo‑American policy directions. The secretary argued that these moves are designed to erode national sovereignty and undermine state structures in countries that resist the bloc’s preferred policies.
He asserted that the alliance does not hesitate to employ terrorist organizations when it serves its strategic aims. This view casts NATO not merely as a defensive alliance but as a tool for advancing certain geopolitical interests through morally charged tactics that complicate global security dynamics and raise questions about the ethical and legal boundaries of international conflict management.
Earlier remarks from Patrushev indicated that the United States and its partners were seeking to spark separatist movements in the North Caucasus through provocations and disinformation campaigns. He suggested external actors could exploit local grievances and social fractures to destabilize the region, calling for heightened scrutiny of information flows and state responses to emerging internal challenges.
From the Russian perspective, there is emphasis on the broader aims behind NATO’s exercises in Europe. Patrushev argued that these drills serve as a visible display of the alliance’s readiness and intent, while also signaling to other powers the capacity to project force and coordinate multinational responses under a unified command. The commentary underscored the belief that such activities fit into a wider plan to shape regional security architectures and influence political calculations in neighboring states.