NATO's aggressive actions and countering Patriot systems: Kremlin's statements

MOSCOW, July 9. /TASS/. NATO’s declaring Russia a threat is an aggressive action, so Moscow is going to stay the course and get even stronger, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Vesti.

He noted that the Russian government is doing everything necessary to protect the country, including taking measures to counter the use of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems.

TASS has compiled the key statements by the Kremlin's spokesman.

NATO’s declaring Russia a threat represents an aggressive step, so Russia will stay strong and stick to its policy: "This obliges us to be strong, to be self-confident and to continue our consistent policy. First -- for the development of our country, technologically, economically, and to ensure and protect our interests amid NATO’s aggressive actions. Because the very fact of declaring someone a rival is in fact an aggressive action."

NATO was originally established as a tool of confrontation and remains true to its purpose: "NATO, the North Atlantic Alliance, is actually an instrument that was created for confrontation. The alliance has not strayed from this purpose. It remains true to its purpose.

"The main opponent of the alliance has always been initially the Soviet Union, then the successor state of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation. And it remains so."

Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems

The Russian government is doing its best to protect the country, including taking measures to counter the use of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems: "All our relevant departments and the supreme commander-in-chief know perfectly well what to do. And believe me, everything that is necessary is being done to protect our interests."