MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) - The scale of military exercises held by the United States and its allies in the Asia Pacific region will broaden this year, owing to the military potential of NATO members, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
"Washington keeps using the growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan area as a pretext for broader presence of groups of forces in the Western Pacific," Shoigu said at a Defense Ministry board meeting on Tuesday.
"The scale of joint exercises of the United States and its allies is expected to broaden this year, owing to the military potential of NATO members," he said.