MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. One of the Russian military’s priorities for 2024 is to take the threat of NATO’s eastward expansion fully into account when carrying out combat training activities, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said.

Earlier, he pointed out that the Russian Armed Forces’ priority for 2024 was to continue the special military operation until all of its goals were achieved.

"Russian forces need to preserve peace and stability in Syria and Karabakh in a changing situation, and take the threat of NATO’s further expansion to the east into account while carrying out operational and combat training activities," Shoigu said at an expanded board meeting of the Defense Ministry.

The defense chief added that preparing for and holding the Ocean 2024 command and staff exercise was another priority.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the meeting that NATO had significantly stepped up its activities, with major US forces deployed to Russia’s border. He also noted that, back in 1991, the West had promised then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand to the east. However, in Putin’s words, no one is any longer trying to hide the bloc’s aggressive nature behind defensive rhetoric.