Russia raps NATO plan to deploy forces to East Europe

Russia has strongly condemned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) over its decision to deploy forces to six East European states amid rising tensions between Moscow and the West over the crisis in Ukraine.

Alexander Grushko, the Russian envoy to NATO, said Friday that such a move shows the Western military alliance is switching to Cold War-style security schemes, adding the plans defy a deal with Russia, which prohibits the organization from basing large number of forces in Eastern Europe.

The Russian official also said NATO’s plans along with other previously implemented measures will substantially undermine the region’s security.

“Along with other measures already being undertaken, including a series of ceaseless exercises, continuous rotation of the US and its allies’ forces, reinforcement of naval and air groups in the Baltic States and in the Black Sea, creation of missile defense sites and strongholds of the alliance for various purposes - all this will substantially weaken the military stability and security in the region,” said Grushko.

The ambassador’s remarks came after NATO announced plans to form command and control units in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. The decision is said to be aimed at boosting NATO’s capabilities to react quickly to any conflict.

NATO expansion in Eastern Europe

The Western military alliance has over the past year increased its presence and conducted several exercises in Eastern Europe amid the crisis in Ukraine.

Last year, NATO forces held some 200 military exercises and the alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has promised that such drills would continue.

Russia has repeatedly condemned NATO’s exercises and military build-up towards its borders. 

Relations between Russia and NATO strained after Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea re-integrated into the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16, 2014. The military alliance ended all practical cooperation with Russia over the ensuing crisis in Ukraine last April.

Last month, Russia approved an updated version of the country’s military doctrine which considers NATO military buildup as a major foreign threat against its national security.

The US and its European allies accuse Moscow of destabilizing Ukraine and have imposed a number of sanctions against Russian and pro-Russia figures. Russia, however, rejects the accusation.