U.S. assistant secretary of defense Derek Chollet said that NATO does not consider Russia an adversary, while speaking at The German Marshall Fund of the United States.
Asked about NATO's upcoming Wales summit, where Russia's tension with the West will be the "elephant in the room", Chollet admitted that disagreements with Russia have been "a real challenge for the alliance" and that some aspects of NATO's relationship with Russia have been "put on hold" because of their disagreements over the crisis in Ukraine.
"Whereas we do not consider Russia an adversary, I think it's safe to assume many in Russia, including perhaps even the leader of Russia, consider NATO as an adversary," Chollet admitted.
"What the reality of that is for us moving forward is very difficult," he said.
Chollet expressed hopes of pursuing common interests with Russia, and said he does not anticipate NATO attempting to develop a "Russia-specific strategy" at the summit.
