Russia is set to increase its military presence along its western borders by the end of this year in response to Western military activities in the area.
Defense Minister General Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that the country will create 12 new units in its Western Military District by the end of 2022.
“We are taking adequate countermeasures. Under these conditions, we are actively improving the combat composition of the troops. By the end of the year, 12 military units and subunits will be formed in the Western Military District,” Shoigu said.
Meanwhile, the Army general claimed U.S. strategic aviation in Europe has increased 15–fold in recent months along with increased American naval visits to the Baltic Sea.
The announcement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he is backing down from his country’s objection to Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
Putin said that Moscow has no issues with both Sweden and Finland joining the US-led military alliance in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“As far as expansion goes, including new members Finland and Sweden, Russia has no problems with these states — none. And so in this sense there is no immediate threat to Russia from an expansion to include these countries,” the president said.
However, he claimed that the NATO expansion was being used by the US in an “aggressive” way to aggravate an already difficult global security situation and that Russia would respond if the alliance moves weapons or troops forward.
“The expansion of military infrastructure into this territory would certainly provoke our response. What that (response) will be – we will see what threats are created for us,” the president said. “Problems are being created for no reason at all. We shall react accordingly.”
Finnish and Swedish accession would change the strategic map of northern Europe, giving NATO control of nearly the entire Baltic Sea coast and more than doubling the alliance’s land borders with Russia.
It’s anybody’s guess what will happen at this point in Ukraine. As for Putin, it may turn out the most he gets out of this horrific invasion is a larger and more powerful NATO.
