Moscow, Mar 30 (UNI) There are no signs that would suggest Russia is planning to attack a NATO member state, NATO Military Committee Chair Adm. Rob Bauer has said, adding that the alliance still needs to be better prepared.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia had no plans to go to war with NATO and dismissed such an idea as nonsense, pointing out that the US defence budget was over 10 times higher than Russia's in 2022.

"There is no indication that Russia is planning to attack any NATO member state. I do not think there is a direct threat," Bauer was quoted as saying by The Baltic Times newspaper on Friday.

He recalled that Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty, which covers collective defense, can only be invoked in the case of a direct attack against one or more alliance members.

At the same time, Bauer also claimed that Russia's ambitions "go beyond Ukraine," so NATO "as a whole needs to be more prepared."

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Putin has said on several occasions that Moscow is not going to attack NATO countries. Russia does not threaten anyone but will not ignore actions that are potentially dangerous to its interests, the Kremlin said.
UNI/SPUTNIK XC SY AKS