NATO is preparing for a clash with Russia, but Russian military planning takes into account all possible development scenarios, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Grushko said in an interview with RIA Novosti, as quoted by Focus.
"Now NATO members openly admit that they are preparing for a potential armed conflict with Russia. Regional defense plans have been approved and specific tasks have been formulated for the military commands of the alliance. Various options for military action against us are constantly being developed," explained Grushko.
He noted that NATO is testing logistical routes to move troops across the Atlantic, deploying weapons depots on its eastern flank and expanding its contingents. The largest military exercise since the end of the Cold War, Steadfast Defender, held between January and May, for the first time included Russia as an adversary rather than a dummy state.
Grushko emphasized that the military budgets of NATO member states are growing, the economy is militarizing, and the alliance's rhetoric is increasingly confrontational.
"Responsible defense planning must demonstrate the futility of talks with Moscow in the language of force," he added.
The Deputy Minister accused NATO of refusing dialogue and joint search for solutions to real threats to regional and global security. He concluded that the policy of the alliance has led to a large-scale crisis in European security.