Russia’s defense chief highlights tension along borders with NATO countries
What you need to know:
- He was speaking at a board meeting of the Union State’s defense ministries.
- "The uneasy situation remains on the western borders of the Union State where NATO continues building up," Shoigu told the defense ministries’ board meeting via a video link-up
Moscow. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday said the situation on the border at the Russia-Belarus Union State with NATO member states remains tense and security provision is a top priority.
He was speaking at a board meeting of the Union State’s defense ministries.
"The uneasy situation remains on the western borders of the Union State where NATO continues building up," Shoigu told the defense ministries’ board meeting via a video link-up.
He added: In the current military and political situation in the region, and also amid new challenges and threats, primarily, from international terrorism, the Defense Ministry of Russia views the provision of the Union State’s military security among its priority tasks.
According to the Russian defense chief, the North Atlantic Alliance has been improving its military infrastructure, stockpiling supplies, armament and military hardware near the Union State’s borders.
“The US missile shield segment is being beefed up and its launchers can be used for strike weapons and the intensity of the bloc’s military drills does not decrease, despite the pandemic," he said.
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin on the other hand noted the growing number of NATO drills in the countries bordering on Belarus and the increasing presence of the US Army.
"Over the past few years, NATO’s rotational grouping in the countries neighboring on Belarus has grown by more than 17 times to 10,000 troops," Khrenin said.
The United States, backed by NATO allies, has quit the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM), Open Skies and Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaties and refused to ratify the adapted version of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, the Belarusian defense minister said.
All these moves according to Russian military chief are aimed at ‘disrupting international and regional security and providing a legal framework for militarizing the European continent through constant US presence.
