Russia's Military Buildup in the West: Countering the NATO Threat

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced plans to build up forces at Russia's western borders in response to Finland's accession to NATO, which has almost doubled Russia's land border with the alliance. Shoigu also cited Poland's plans to strengthen its military and expressed concern over the expected deployment of significant NATO forces and weaponry in Finland. He described the entry of Finland and the future entry of Sweden into NATO as a serious destabilizing factor and accused the collective West of waging a proxy war against Russia. Shoigu stated that the threats to Russia's military security require a timely and adequate response, and discussions will be held to neutralize them.