OREANDA-NEWS. For the sake of promoting its interests, the White House is ready to “strangle” European countries, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council Alexander Venediktov said in an interview with RIA Novosti. “Washington said – and that’s all, the business of the Europeans is to execute it. To advance its interests, America is ready to strangle Europe,” Venediktov stated.

The United States demands from European countries additional funds to preserve allied relations within NATO, and so that the Europeans “finally realize who is the boss,” Washington “destroys agreements on which European security directly depends,” Venediktov added, meaning the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Treaty on Open Skies.

In addition, the United States “is doing everything in its power” to prevent the launch of the gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, Venediktov claimed.

Increasing funding for NATO from European countries is one of the demands of the current US President Donald Trump, which he formed during the election campaign. According to him, the military spending of the members of the alliance should be at least 2 % of the gross domestic product.

In June of this year, Trump announced the withdrawal of part of the US military contingent from Germany.