The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said that the NATO exercises near the border with Russia indicate the preparations of the military alliance for a large-scale conflict.
At yesterday's meeting with foreign military attachés, Gerasimov said that NATO activities contributed to increasing tensions and reducing security along the border with Russia, it was announced today.
Asked whether the Russian army sees a potential threat of war, Gerasimov said that Moscow does not see "any preconditions for a large-scale war".
However, he added that Western pressure on Russia could cause "crisis situations" that could get out of control and provoke a military conflict.
He stated that the scenario of the NATO exercises in Eastern Europe "indicates the well-thought-out preparation of NATO for the participation of its soldiers in a large-scale military conflict".
Relations between Russia and the West have fallen to their lowest level since the Cold War after Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014.
Moscow has persistently expressed concern over the deployment of NATO forces in the Baltic region and the alliance's maneuvers near Russia's western border.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that "the continued expansion of NATO's military infrastructure towards Russia's borders raises concerns."
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