MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. NATO’s military drills on the eastern flank are increasingly more reminiscent of purposeful preparations for a large-scale military conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a response on its website following Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's press conference on summing up the results of Russian diplomacy in 2019. The relevant question was not voiced at the conference.

"NATO countries are constantly building up their military presence close to our borders, working to improve the operational efficiency of redeploying forces to the eastern flank," the Foreign Ministry noted. "The intensity of the drills whose scenarios are increasingly more reminiscent of preparations for a large-scale military conflict is increasing. The systematic development of the European segment of the US/NATO missile defense system continues."