NATO Buildup Near Russian Borders Damages European Security - NATO Envoy

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — NATO military buildup near Russian borders will undermine the existing system of European security and make the situation less predictable and more tense, Russia’s envoy to NATO said Friday.

“This is a road to nowhere that will undermine the existing system of European security, will make [the situation] less predictable and more tense,” Alexander Grushko said.

Following Russia’s reunification with Crimea last March and the start of an internal armed conflict in Ukraine’s southeast in April, NATO has been boosting its military presence near Russia’s borders, including in the Baltics.

The alliance has accused Russia of sending troops and equipment to Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region, claims Moscow has repeatedly denied.

On February 5, NATO defense ministers agreed to set up a new high-readiness force dubbed Spearhead Force as part of the NATO Response Force. Altogether, the enhanced Response Force will be increased and count up to around 30,000 troops.

The ministers also decided to establish six command and control units in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania tasked with “ensuring that national and NATO forces from across the Alliance are able to act as one from the start” if a crisis arises.

There is no indication that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will revise its curtailing cooperation with Moscow, Russia's permanent representative to NATO said.

“There are so far no signs that Brussels’ line on curtailing cooperation with Russia will be reviewed,” Alexander Grushko said.

Grushko reminded that it was the alliance, not Russia, deciding to halt cooperation within the NATO-Russia Council consultation mechanism and restricting mutual contacts.

Moscow will revise its military planning in response to NATO moves aimed at creating a new configuration of military potentials and forces, Russia's envoy to NATO said.

"We are registering continuing rotation of US and allied forces in the Baltics and Poland, the expansion of air patrolling over the Baltic region, the strengthening of command-and-control structures in Central and Eastern Europe…the creation of missile defense infrastructure…," Grushko said in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti.

Grushko pointed out that the military infrastructure in Central and Eastern European countries is being seriously modernized, including the extension of runways, construction of additional storage facilities and other activities.

"As a result, a new configuration of military potentials and forces is being created, and we will have to take it into consideration in our own military planning," he stressed.

Following Crimea's reunification with Russia last March and the start of an internal armed conflict in Ukraine's southeast in April, NATO has been boosting its military presence near Russia's borders, including in the Baltics.