FILE PHOTO: Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters are seen next to one of the towers of Moscow’s Kremlin, in Russia, March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
(Reuters) - The latest NATO summit showed that the Western alliance was returning to "Cold War schemes," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, adding that the Kremlin was ready to respond to threats by using "all means."
The NATO summit in Lithuania ended with the United States and its allies giving Ukraine new security assurances for its defence against Moscow more than 500 days into Russia's invasion of its neighbour.
The summit was also buoyed by the prospect of Sweden joining the military alliance as its newest member after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday abruptly dropped his prior objections.
The Russian ministry said in a statement late Wednesday: "The results of the Vilnius Summit will be carefully analysed. Taking into account the challenges and threats to Russia's security and interests that have been identified, we will respond in a timely and appropriate manner, using all means and methods at our disposal."
The summit showed NATO's "inability to adapt to the new geopolitical situation in the world," the ministry said.
It said NATO was continually lowering the threshold for the use of force, escalating political and military tensions.
"Taking the course of escalation, they issued a new batch of promises to supply the Kyiv regime with more and more modern and long-range weapons in order to prolong the conflict as long as possible - to exhaustion," the ministry said.
"In addition to the decisions already taken, we will continue to strengthen the country's military organisation and defence system."
Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of a "craven lust for land and power" and praised NATO's unity and support for Ukraine.
(Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Leslie Adler and Rosalba O'Brien)
