Ankara:Russia has expressed strong opposition to the potential deployment of additional NATO troops in the Baltic states, describing it as an escalation. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova conveyed this stance, emphasizing that the introduction of more NATO contingents, including US troops, and the establishment of related military infrastructure in the region would be seen as confrontational.

According to Anadolu Agency, Zakharova criticized these plans, attributing them to the Washington administration, and argued that they contradict the stated goals of fostering diplomatic and political solutions to ease tensions in Europe. She described these actions as part of NATO's strategy to militarize Russia's western borders under the guise of a supposed threat from the East.

The spokeswoman reiterated that Russia has no intention of engaging in an armed conflict with Western Europe and pointed out that both President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have made similar assurances. She questioned the motives behind what she termed as fabricated threats and called for justification from those who promote such narratives.

Zakharova accused the European Union of taking a confrontational approach towards Russia, suggesting that this would only worsen Europe's existing issues. She also singled out Germany, accusing it of siding with Kyiv in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his recent visit to Ukraine, during which he pledged an additional £1 billion ($1.1 billion) in military aid to Kyiv.