Russia Thursday slammed NATO for attempting to use the crisis in Ukraine to "close ranks" within the bloc which sees a threat from Moscow in the region.
NATO cites "increasing militarisation of Russia" to prove that the bloc is still needed in the 21st century, Xinhua quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying in a statement.
"In recent months, we have not heard from NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen regarding any constructive agenda or care about sooner normalisation of situation in Ukraine," the statement added.
Russia said it was not surprised by NATO's attempt to represent itself as an "elite club" bearing some special political legitimacy and ignoring international institutions, including the UN Security Council.
Earlier this month, Rasmussen highlighted the alliance's steadfast commitment to collective defence as NATO decided to suspend all civilian and military cooperation with Russia.
