Russia official blasts 'secretive' UN-NATO deal

Moscow on Thursday accused NATO and the United Nations of secretly forging an agreement that tightens their cooperation without informing Russia, a U.N. Security Council member whose relations with NATO are badly strained. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia was aware an agreement was in the works and assumed it would be shown to member states for review. "This did not happen, and the agreement between the secretariats was signed in a secretive way," Lavrov said. Russia's anger reflected its wariness that closer relations could give NATO more clout at the United Nations, where Moscow holds veto power as a permanent Security Council member. Moscow says NATO's expansion toward its borders is a threat as its relations with the Western alliance have plunged to a post-Cold War low in the wake of its August war with... [read full story]