NATO’s recent decision to set up additional command centers in six different countries will inevitably lead to “adequate” changes in Russia’s military planning, the country’s envoy to the alliance, Alexander Grushko, said in a press conference.
“The opening up of additional military potential along our borders is nothing more than an attempt to exert pressure on Russia,” Grushko said, adding that Russia’s response will be “adequate” in any case, Sputnik wrote.
According to the envoy, the “serious changes in the military-political situation” along the Russian border will “naturally” lead to changes in Russia’s military planning, aimed at ensuring the country’s security.
On Thursday, the defense ministers of NATO member-states agreed on establishment of six new command and control posts in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania during a meeting in Brussels. The ministers also announced that NATO’s Response Force would be doubled to include up to 30,000 people.
The decision “creates a great risk for Russia”, primarily in the Baltics, which could become a region of “military confrontation,” Grushko stressed.
The envoy added that the creation of a joint training center in Georgia, announced by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday, will also contribute to geopolitical tensions and the aggravation of regional security.
“The training center in Georgia is a step that cannot be considered anything but provocation. There is no necessity for NATO to create any [training] centers,” Grushko said, stressing that countries in the Black Sea region are capable of ensuring their own security.
