MOSCOW, December 3 (Sputnik) — Russia is already taking and will continue to take measures in response to the strengthening of NATO forces on the bloc's eastern borders, Russia's envoy to NATO Alexander Grushko said Wednesday.
"Measures are already being taken, and they will be taken. They will be clearly verified and will be based on an analysis of what NATO is doing in the region," Grushko told journalists.
Grushko noted that there are "no real reasons" why NATO should deploy more troops and increase its number of military drills in the region.
"The NATO logic is largely dictated by the interests of NATO itself, and not the interests of [its member countries'] national security," Grushko said.
NATO officials themselves understand the danger of increasing military activity of the alliance, the diplomat said.
A joint statement by NATO foreign ministers issued Tuesday said that the alliance is set to continue deploying its forces in the eastern part of its territory.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern over the bloc's expansion in Eastern Europe and its increased military presence near the country's border. In late September, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called NATO's expansion a "mistake" and a "provocation" that undermines the whole European security system.
