MOSCOW. Feb 5 (Interfax) - The possible decision of NATO to set up a rapid reaction force will be definitely be taken into account in Russia's military plans as Russia is concerned about the general reinforcement of NATO troops on the East European flank, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.
"We shall see what they decide in Brussels today but I believe that any decisions of this kind will be fully considered in our military planning," he said at a press briefing on Thursday, commenting on the NATO defense ministers' rendezvous in Brussels.
"This is the question of the additional operational ability of the alliance to respond [to events] near Russian borders: the so-called plan, bolstering the eastern flank of the alliance is nothing but a way to strengthen combat capacities of the alliance in the case of different developments. So, we are deeply concerned, especially as this is a decision of senior officials, defense ministers," Lukashevich said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels on Thursday that the NATO Response Force would grow to 30,000 men.