MOSCOW (Sputnik) — During an international security conference in Moscow, a number of Russian officials criticized NATO's recent moves to boost its military presence and activities near the Russian borders, accusing the alliance of trying to reach global supremacy and undermine the international security.
@Bill_Owen Look at this map, #NATO didn't put those bases there to defend against #Russia. Have you ever played RISK? pic.twitter.com/9LtnsvYqdc
— William Owen (@Bill_Owen) 26 Март 2015
"A number of misleading and incorrect statements about NATO were made by senior Russian officials in Moscow on Thursday 16 April," Oana Lungescu said in a statement.
The idea was echoed in the statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said that the plans of the United States and its allies to continue placing its anti-missile defense systems in Europe remained a serious concern for Moscow.
Lungescu said in response that NATO's missile defense system is "not designed or directed against Russia" and represents no "threat to Russia's strategic deterrent."
"Geography and physics make it impossible for the NATO system to shoot down Russian intercontinental missiles from NATO sites in Romania or Poland. Their capabilities are too limited, their planned numbers too few, and their locations too far south or too close to Russia to do so."
"This is untrue," Lungescu said addressing the allegations.
In recent months NATO has boosted its military presence in Eastern Europe and in the Black Sea, citing security concerns over Russia's alleged participation in the armed conflict in Ukraine, a claim that Moscow has repeatedly denied.
"At no point have we moved nuclear weapons to Eastern Europe. Furthermore, NATO's nuclear posture is fully consistent with the Non-Proliferation Treaty."
