Dmitry Kiselyov, the state television host known for his harsh statements attacking the West, told President Vladimir Putin that he feels Russia is being "suffocated" by NATO.
"I feel like we're in a ring, being suffocated," Kiselyov told Putin during the president's annual televised call-in show. "It seems like it's NATO."
Kiselyov is among the Russians hit by European Union sanctions passed in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. He was included on the list for his role in Russian propaganda related to Ukraine.
Putin told Kiselyov that all countries have the right to take steps they think are necessary to defend themselves but that Russia also has the right to take steps it feels are necessary in response.
Baltic Sea nations Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which border Russia's northwest, joined NATO in 2004. They have said they are concerned about the threat posed by Russia given its aggressive behavior in Ukraine, and NATO has increased policing flights over the countries as a result.
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