北约提议与俄罗斯建立新的伙伴关系，并表示双方应当在国防方面加强合作。北约秘书长拉斯穆森星期五在布鲁塞尔呼吁对21世纪新的安全挑战进行一次联合审视，并强调俄罗斯应当在欧洲和国际安全方面充当伙伴，发挥重要作用。
拉斯穆森说，俄罗斯、北约和美国应当在适当的时候讨论如何将他们的导弹防御系统联合起来。俄罗斯驻北约特使罗戈津说，拉斯穆森的评论”非常实际和富有建设性”，并表示他们应当对各种提议进行分析。
在苏联共产主义政权倒台之后，俄罗斯和西欧的关系逐渐回暖。但是自去年俄罗斯出兵格鲁吉亚以及试图影响东欧前共产主义国家以来，俄罗斯和西欧的关系趋于紧张。
NATO is proposing a new partnership with Russia, saying the two should work together on defense.Speaking in Brussels Friday, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for a “joint review” of the security challenges of the 21st century, and said Russia should be a “real stakeholder” and “partner” in European and international security.
Rasmussen said Russia, NATO, and the U.S. should look into linking missile defense systems “at an appropriate time.”Russia’s NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin says Rasmussen’s remarks are “very positive and very constructive,” and he says they should together analyze the various proposals.
Relations between Russia and Western Europe warmed after the communist government in Moscow fell. But they grew tense again in the last year as Russia stepped up influence over former communist countries in Eastern Europe and sent its troops sweeping into Georgia.