Russian Defence Minister: we are forced to respond to NATO expansion

Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu says that the expansion of NATO military potential “destroys” the existing world security system and forces Russia to take responding steps, Shoygu said at a recent meeting in the Russian defence ministry.

NATO has increased the scales and intensity of its exercises twice, in which Georgia and Ukraine, non-NATO member countries, are more and more frequently involved. Such behavior destroys the current world security system,” he said.

Shoygu  also condemned NATO activity in the Baltic States.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin told Fox News last year that Russia would react "extremely negatively” to the membership of Georgia and Ukraine in NATO.

Next month Georgia will host NATO-Georgia joint exercises.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is also expected to come to Georgia at the end of March.