Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, during a meeting with defense ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries, stated that NATO forces are nearing Russia’s borders, which he views as a heightened threat to military security.
Shoigu criticized claims that Russia must be contained in Ukraine to prevent potential attacks on Alliance countries, pointing out that NATO is the one moving closer to Russian territory.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, also spoke out, describing NATO’s military drills near the Russian border, specifically in Finland, as provocative and designed to exert military pressure on Russia.
She highlighted the risk of these maneuvers escalating into military incidents and accused NATO representatives of exacerbating fears of a Russian threat to justify their aggressive posture.
Zakharova further condemned the drills as part of a hybrid war against Russia and mentioned that Helsinki is eager to expedite its NATO membership to join what she referred to as an “adventure.”
On the other hand, top officials from NATO and the European Union (EU) pressed foreign ministers of leading industrialized nations to expedite the provision of additional air defense systems and artillery to Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell addressed a gathering of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations on the Italian resort island of Capri.
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, alongside escalating tensions in the Middle East following Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel over the weekend, dominated discussions at the meeting.
