Russia will respond to NATO military exercises in Europe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in his interview with the "Российская газета.
Lavrov has responded to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's statement saying that a large-scale military exercise Defender Europe 2020 is set to be launched, involving more than 20,000 American soldiers.
"We cannot ignore processes over which we should be concerned; however, we will respond to them so as not to create unnecessary risks," Lavrov declared.
In the Russian top official's words, NATO is driving neutral countries, such as Finland and Sweden, into its orbit by luring them into joining the EU.
"In the context of cooperation with NATO and the European Union, they coined the"military Schengen" term, which envisages modernization of all transport networks, including the eastern borders of the Alliance, so that all military equipment may reach the eastern border. This only is enough to understand how dangerous is this game. We must, obviously, respond to it," Lavrov said.
The U.S.-led military exercise Defender Europe 2020 involving 37,000 military men from 18 countries is set to be held in Germany, Poland, and the Baltic States in May and June.
