Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told reporters on Monday that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is aiming to strengthen its presence in the Arctic region, Ednews reports citing to Tass.
According to the Russian representative, the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO "will increase the level of ambitions of the alliance in the north, in the Arctic region, and will be accompanied not only by the formation of additional opportunities for the deployment of additional forces and means on the territory of Finland and Sweden, but also by the densification of exercises and the creation of command staff chains."
In addition, Grushko added that Russia plans to bolster its own security and defensive measures to counter the possible moves from Finland and Sweden.