Halt NATO advance, create detente: Russia

The United States could create "a kind of detente in Europe" if it slows down the eastward expansion of the NATO military alliance, Russian officials say.

Vladimir Putin's spokesman says one way Donald Trump could help build confidence with Russia after he becomes US president would be to persuade NATO to slow down its expansion or withdraw its forces from Russia's borders.

Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the Associated Press that this "would lead to a kind of detente in Europe".

But unfortunately, Russia now sees "NATO's muscles ... getting bigger and bigger and closer and closer to Russian borders," he said on Thursday.

At a NATO summit in July, the military alliance said it is building up positions in Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as tensions with Russia escalate. The US is sending 1000 troops to Poland next year.