NATO is expanding toward the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) under the pretext of helping CIS countries modernize their armed forces and equip intelligence and law enforcement agencies, said Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia and Chairman of the Council of Heads of Security Agencies and Special Services of CIS Member States, RIA Novosti reports.

The threats to the security and stability of CIS states are complex and are being purposefully promoted from outside, Bortnikov said Thursday at the 57th meeting of the Council of Heads of Special Services in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

“The NATO expansion program, whose direct consequence was the Ukrainian crisis, is not frozen. It continues with other post-Soviet states — under the guise of various assistance projects for modernizing armies and military infrastructure, equipping intelligence and law enforcement agencies, as well as retraining specialists,” Bortnikov said.

To note, Armenia also is a member in the Commonwealth of Independent States.