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Alexander Darchiev, Russia’s ambassador to Canada, isn’t a fan of NATO….obviously.

“NATO is irrelevant. It’s cold-war relic, which desperately needs rationale for its continued existence,” Darchiev said in an interview aired Sunday with Evan Solomon, host of CTV’s Question Period. “If you want [to] divert your resources for [a] NATO build-up, that’s the sovereign choice of Canada,” he added.

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“The major self-deception for the west is to believe there is a Russian aggression. There is no Russian aggression,” according to Darchiev. He said the conflict in Ukraine is actually a civil war.

“[The] NATO buildup is a national security concern. We are open for dialogue, but we sincerely believe it’s not good for European security,” he added.

Darchiev welcomed the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president. Trump has called NATO “obsolete.”

But U.K. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told reporters attending the International Security Forum in Halifax he expects those views to change. “I’m sure the new administration will appreciate the importance of international organizations and alliances, including the NATO alliance, to keep the peace in Europe and also internationally.”

At the Halifax forum, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan touted Canada’s financial contribution to NATO as “quite large.” He didn’t give any hints that the Liberal government was planning to spend more. Canada, he noted, remains committed to supporting Ukraine.

(with files from the Canadian Press)