NATO in Its Deepest Crisis in History, Says Russian Foreign Ministry

The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that NATO is currently facing the deepest crisis in its entire history. Yuri Pilipson, the director of the Second European Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized in an interview with TASS that the North Atlantic alliance is experiencing the most serious crisis it has ever encountered.

Pilipson assessed that the intensification of the situation is a consequence of deepening conflicts among the most influential member countries of the bloc. In this context, he noted that discussions about further NATO membership in certain countries of the alliance are essential.

As an example, he cited the initiative by Zoran Stevanović, the president of Slovenia's National Assembly, to hold a referendum on the country’s further NATO membership alongside local government elections in November. However, Pilipson emphasized that the realization of this initiative is still far from becoming a reality.

He clarified that Slovenia’s legislation allows for consultative referendums in defense and security matters, which essentially is a question of public opinion. Furthermore, according to the Russian diplomat, the practical significance of such voting remains unclear.

Nonetheless, the emergence of such proposals, according to Pilipson, speaks to serious disagreements within the alliance. “Public discussions on this topic in countries like Slovenia should primarily be viewed as a reflection of intra-NATO disputes,” he stressed.