Polyansky Warns West Over NATO Drills Near Russia Border
Dmitry Polyansky warns the West over NATO drills near Russia, EU militarization and Russian-Belarusian exercises with non-strategic nuclear forces.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE Dmitry Polyansky said Moscow will not stand idle while Western countries, in his view, prepare for war with Russia.
The diplomat said the European Union is rapidly building up its military capabilities, while NATO member states are holding exercises close to Russia’s borders. He stressed that Moscow has no intention of ignoring such moves.
According to Polyansky, Russia must assess and pre-empt scenarios in which Western states, under the banner of «fighting for peace», are preparing for military confrontation with Moscow.
Polyansky also said the second stage of joint Russian-Belarusian drills involving non-strategic nuclear forces has begun. He described the maneuvers as necessary to maintain combat readiness amid rising tensions in Europe.
The diplomat added that Russia reserves the right to protect its citizens, infrastructure and security interests by all available means. He said the future direction of the situation will largely depend on the position taken by Western countries.