Moscow to take more measures against NATO expansion

Russia would take more responsive measures against NATO's eastward expansion, in addition to deploying three new divisions near its western border, Russia's ambassador to NATO said Tuesday.

"Our interests will be securely protected. The deployment of three divisions is just one of the measures to be taken in this context," Alexander Grushko said, without specifying other countermeasures Russia could take.

"Today, our armed forces, and the military-technical potential we have, allow us to choose between different military and technical methods to protect security in order not to get dragged in the spiral of an arms race," Grushko said as quoted by Tass news agency.

Grushko recalled the recent deployment of U.S. Aegis Ashore missile defense systems in Romania, the start of a similar launch area project in Poland, and the signing by NATO and Montenegro of an accession protocol.

Stressing that Russia is not interested in confrontation, Grushko said NATO's latest steps bring evident risks to regional and global security.

"(The policy of NATO's expansion) does not meet real security needs but only creates division lines," Grushko said.

He added that NATO's policy of confrontation with Russia was doomed to failure, and the alliance would have to revise its approach fundamentally sooner or later.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said in May that deployment of three new mechanized infantry divisions near Russia's western border would be finished by the end of this year.

The divisions, 10,000-strong each, are expected to be deployed in the Rostov, Smolensk and Voronezh regions, all on the country's European side.

Russia-NATO relations have been at a low point since armed conflicts broke out in eastern Ukraine in early 2014. Russia has repeatedly expressed concerns over the military buildup by NATO in neighboring countries. Endi