Speaking to RIA Novosti, Grushko said NATO has abandoned any positive agenda in its relations with Russia. There have been no indications so far that NATO knows any way out of this impasse, he added. NATO’s decision to terminate normal working contacts in the military area was absurd, because security in Europe largely depends on relations between Russia and NATO, Mr. Grushko noted.

He said that NATO's total military expenditure last year exceeded a trillion dollars, 22 times the amount of Russia's defense spending. Moscow is not going to take part in a military budget race with NATO, but instead will pursue "economical, precise, and effective means," said Grushko.