"Receiving of additional funds from the United States will create a significantly higher danger of some conflict in the area. Under no circumstances, this will bring more security for EU states or better protection against terrorism," Member of the European Parliament from the Czech Republic Jaromir Kohlicek has told Sputnik.
According to the Czech politician, Washington's European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) could increase the dangers of a potential conflict, especially in the context of a high concentration of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops in Europe near Russia's western borders.
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The statement of the politician comes amid the newly released 2018 US draft defense budget, which stipulates the allocation of $4.6 billion for what is described as "countering Russian aggression" in Europe.
Responding to the accusations of Moscow's "attempts" to interfere in Europe's affairs which have arisen in the wake an investigation in the US related to the November 2016 presidential election, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called the claims "ridiculous," emphasizing that there was no proof that Russia was involved in the election processes in other countries.
Most recently, a US congressman has proposed the Keeping Russian Entanglements Minimal and Limiting Intelligence Networks (KREMLIN) Act that would require the Director of National Intelligence to assess Moscow's strategic intentions and discover the reasons behind its alleged interference in other countries' internal affairs, a claim called by the Kremlin as "groundless."
