OREANDA-NEWS Statements in the West about an alleged possible military conflict with Russia are being made to distract people in Europe from the growing domestic political and economic problems there, said Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Russian Security Council.

"Inciting Russophobia, intimidating its own citizens with an imaginary "Russian threat" has become an important component of the policy of the European authorities, thus trying to distract people's attention from the growing domestic political and economic problems," Patrushev said in an interview with Arguments and Facts in connection with the 75th anniversary of the creation of NATO.