Shoigu: NATO buildup on Russian borders erodes global security

Sergey Shoigu

The growing NATO presence in the Baltic and Eastern Europe demonstrates "blatant unwillingness" of certain Western states to stop "pursuing an anti-Russian agenda" and forces Moscow to beef up its border defenses, according to Russia's defense minister.

The situation on Russia's western borders has a "tendency to deteriorate," Sergey Shoigu said during an on-site meeting of the Defense Ministry Collegium in Kaliningrad on Wednesday.

"It is related to the growing military activity of NATO countries in Eastern Europe," Shoigu said.

The NATO buildup includes the modernization of airfields, ports and other military sites, as well as the deployment of new elements of the US missile defense, the minister added.

Alongside the expansion of military infrastructure, the alliance is also bolstering its operative and combat readiness,...