MOSCOW, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Russia has been deceived several times by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO's) promises about non-expansion eastward, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

During his annual press conference, Putin said the movement of NATO military infrastructure towards Russian borders has caused legitimate concern for Russia.

Russia had discussed the possibility of joining NATO, but realized its accession was not expected there, he said.

The Russian president added that building a new security system in Europe is "quite relevant," and any country's choice of its own means of defense should not threaten other countries. ■