Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Council’s international committee, said that Russia will continue to respond to the U.S. military presence in Europe and NATO expansion, including by adopting new defense systems.
Earlier, Estonian Defence Minister Jüri Luik said that the missile system that Russia has adopted poses a threat to all NATO. According to the Minister, the presence of US weapons in Estonia enhances security.
“Do not be surprised, Mr Luijk, that with NATO continuing to divide the European security space into a privileged space for itself and the rest of the world, and with Estonia indulging in this irresponsibly, Russia will react. That is exactly how it is. React and respond”, – Kosachev wrote on Facebook.
Kosachev noted that Luik only confirmed the position of the Russian Federation, which “for 30 years now, indicates that neither NATO expansion (including the accession of the same Estonia), nor the U.S. military presence in Europe, nor the deployment on the territory of the new alliance members on a permanent basis of significant weapons and armed forces of the alliance do not improve the security situation in the region.
According to Kosachev, the adoption of new defensive systems is logical for Russia. “We simply have to think about our own security when your alliance constantly threatens our (ideally) common security space, violating both the spirit of the European Charter for a New Europe and the letter of the NATO-Russia Founding Act”, – Kosachev said.