Vladimir Putin appeared to offer glimpses into his plot to destroy NATO supremacy and reclaim a spot for Russia on the diplomatic stage, experts have suggested.
The Russian president travelled to North Korea last week to strengthen his alliance with leader Kim Jong-un before heading to Vietnam for a swathe of other meetings.
During his visit, Putin said he is willing to expand discussions on Eurasian security concerns past the Moscow-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) or Russian and Chinese-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Instead, the Russian leader signalled he wants to start negotiations with BRICs nations as well to create “an equal and indivisible security in Eurasia”.
Among countries included in the BRICs group are India, Iran, South Africa, China and the United Arab Emirates.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also suggested the Kremlin is working to establish a new “Eurasian security architecture” to replace the Euro-Atlantic system.
Washington-based think tank The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) argued that Putin and Lavrov are working to push Moscow’s attempts to form a new alliance “to posture as an alternative to NATO”.
The ISW noted the strategy appears to run parallel to war propaganda efforts to “falsely portray Western countries as Ukraine’s only supporters”.
The think tank suggested that the alternative coalition would act “as an alternative to the West and undermine NATO”.
Putin’s rhetoric against the Atlantic alliance has grown more hostile as member nations continue to support Kyiv’s efforts to oust Russia‘s invading forces.
