ATHENS

The Lithuanian foreign minister on Tuesday said NATO is not at war with Russia, an oft-repeated assertion by the West, which has been rejected by Russia.

“NATO is not at war with Russia. NATO hasn't even started a special military operation against Russia,” Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Twitter.

"Russia is being beaten by Ukrainians, not by NATO. This is getting embarrassing for some people, and it shows," he added.

Russia says the delivery of advanced weapons to Ukraine by NATO members is evidence of its involvement in the war, which is almost a year old. The military alliance, however, insists it supports Ukraine in its right to self-defense.

NATO argues its core task is to keep its 30 members safe and ensure the conflict does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended the country's participation in the New START nuclear treaty that aims to control and reduce strategic nuclear weapons deployed by the US and Russia.

In response, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia to reconsider its decision.

Turning to Putin's accusation that the West provoked and escalated the conflict in Ukraine, he said: "Nobody is attacking Russia. Russia is the aggressor.”