Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during the briefing that Russia clearly perceives NATO’s Steadfast Defender 2024 exercise as a threat.
“In our understanding, NATO is an instrument of conflict. In fact, the alliance was conceived, created, structured and is currently managed by the United States precisely as an instrument of conflict. This tool continues to fulfill its mission, of course it is a threat to us. This is how we approach the issue,” Peskov shared.
He added that Moscow was taking appropriate measures against the background of the exercises, “especially in an environment where the alliance has been steadily advancing its military infrastructure towards our borders for decades.”
Before that RIA Novosti reportedIt was stated that the active phase of Steadfast Defender 2024, NATO’s largest exercise since the Cold War, has started near the Russian borders. 90 thousand military personnel from 32 countries of the alliance are participating in the exercise. The exercises will be held in the Baltic countries, Poland and Germany.
Previously reportedTurkey is ready to support Sweden’s NATO membership for the sake of supplying American warplanes.