Jens Stoltenberg: Russia wants to establish control over neighboring countries - we had Georgia in 2008, Crimea in 2014 and a full-scale invasion

Russia declares that if a country decides to become a member of NATO, it is a provocation. It is not a provocation, it is the democratic, sovereign right of the nation to choose its own path, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in the European Parliament.

According to him, Russia wants to establish control over neighboring countries and restore influence over them.

"Russia has decided to control the neighboring countries. Russia is trying to restore its growing influence, saying that if a country decides to become a member of NATO, it is a provocation. It is not a provocation, it is a democratic, sovereign right of a nation to choose its own path. That’s why we had Georgia in 2008, Crimea in 2014 and a full-scale invasion," Stoltenberg noted.