Peskov: Russia will protect its interests and security if NATO deploys new battalions to Eastern Europe
Russia will undertake necessary measures to protect its security if NATO deploys four new battalions in Eastern Europe. This was stated by Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.
TASS quoted Peskov as saying that "Our defense department and the appropriate services, of course, are properly tracking the changes in stationing of foreign military forces near our borders. They analyze all these movements and changes of the contingents and are definitely taking all the necessary measures to carry out their functions, such as protection of interests and ensuring the security of Russia.”
Earlier, the Head of the Polish National Security Bureau, Paweł Soloch, said that relations with Moscow will become one of the first-day topics at the NATO summit in the Polish capital on July 8th and 9th. The decision to expand NATO's presence on the eastern flank of the alliance, including Poland, will be discussed at the meeting. Four battalions will be deployed, though information about their strength has not yet been agreed on.
Prior to that, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said that the creation of a European NATO shield is a response to the "threats" from Russia that, in his opinion, is trying to "redraw the architecture of security in Europe."