Moscow, June 23 (Sputnik): The increasing military spending of NATO member states contributes to intensification of the military confrontation in Europe, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted on Wednesday.
According to the minister, the recent NATO summit in Brussels confirmed that the bloc is being transformed into a global military and political alliance, aimed at containing Russia and China.
“The decisions taken at the summit to increase the military spending of the member states and to boost the potential of nuclear deterrence will consolidate the military confrontation in Europe for years,” Shoigu said at the ninth Moscow Conference on International Security.
Shoigu expressed the belief that the formal dialogue that Brussels proposes to continue within the framework of the Russia-NATO Council does not reduce tensions in bilateral relations, especially given that some European countries are interested in escalating the conflict.
