Russia has strengthened its military forces in the north and west of the country in countering what Moscow perceives to be a build-up of NATO forces near Russia, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.
In response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Finland has joined NATO and Sweden is on the verge of doing so. NATO is this week conducting a military exercise called Nordic Response 2024, which it says will involve more than 20,000 soldiers in Norway, Finland, and Sweden and will be focusing on collective defense.
“Against the background of a build-up of NATO’s military potential near the Russian borders, the expansion of the alliance through the accession of Finland and, in the future, Sweden, we have taken steps to strengthen the groupings of troops in the north-western and western strategic directions,” Shoigu told top generals, without providing any further details.
The war in Ukraine has triggered the deepest crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and President Putin has warned the West that it risks provoking a nuclear war if Western troops were to be sent to fight in Ukraine.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) chief Sergei Naryshkin was quoted by state-run RIA news agency as saying on Tuesday that French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments on NATO soldiers in Ukraine show the irresponsibility of Europe’s leaders and are moving the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Last week, Macron opened the door to European nations sending troops to Ukraine, although he cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage.
Aid options for Ukraine
Pavel stated that there are many forms of assistance for the attacked country. He recognized how from the perspective of a possible Russian response, training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine is equally as dangerous as training them on the territory of EU member states.
If instructors were sent, there would be no question of violating Ukraine’s sovereignty. Pavel emphasized the need to approach the issue of assistance to Ukraine with an open mind, to consider available options, and to implement them rather than automatically rejecting any presence in Ukraine.
“Against the background of a build-up of NATO’s military potential near the Russian borders, the expansion of the alliance through the accession of Finland and, in the future, Sweden, we have taken steps to strengthen the groupings of troops in the north-western and western strategic directions,” Shoigu told top generals, without providing any further details.
The war in Ukraine has triggered the deepest crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and President Putin has warned the West that it risks provoking a nuclear war if Western troops were to be sent to fight in Ukraine.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) chief Sergei Naryshkin was quoted by state-run RIA news agency as saying on Tuesday that French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments on NATO soldiers in Ukraine show the irresponsibility of Europe’s leaders and are moving the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Last week, Macron opened the door to European nations sending troops to Ukraine, although he cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage.
Aid options for Ukraine
Pavel stated that there are many forms of assistance for the attacked country. He recognized how from the perspective of a possible Russian response, training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine is equally as dangerous as training them on the territory of EU member states.
If instructors were sent, there would be no question of violating Ukraine’s sovereignty. Pavel emphasized the need to approach the issue of assistance to Ukraine with an open mind, to consider available options, and to implement them rather than automatically rejecting any presence in Ukraine.
Source: Reuters, PAP
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