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Russia Dismayed at NATO Escalation, Promises Symmetrical Response

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Russia Dismayed at NATO Escalation, Promises Symmetrical Response

If NATO tanks appear at Russian borders, Moscow will provide the Pentagon with an ‘adequate’ response.

by Johanna Ross

Russia would be able to ‘adequately’ respond to the deployment of American tanks, artillery systems and other NATO and US military equipment in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states, as outlined by General Yuri Yakubov, from the Russian Ministry of Defence, according to Interfax

“If heavy U.S. military equipment, including tanks, artillery batteries and other equipment really does turn up in countries in eastern Europe and the Baltics, that will be the most aggressive step by the Pentagon and NATO since the Cold War. Russia will have no option but to build up its forces and resources on the Western strategic front,”

Yakubov stated the Russian response was likely to include speeding up the deployment of Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad and consolidating Russian forces in Belarus. He explained that since the Russian withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe “Our hands are completely free to organize retaliatory steps to strengthen our Western frontiers.”

Nevertheless, the Russian government very much hopes that such retaliation will not be necessary, as the Foreign Ministry announced: “We hope that reason will prevail and the situation in Europe will be prevented from sliding into a new military confrontation which may have dangerous consequences.”

http://russia-insider.com/en/russia-will-respond-nato-aggression/ri8040

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