VLADIVOSTOK, September 4. /TASS/. Moscow is looking at NATO’s maneuvers in Finland to assess the potential risks of such a drill which Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said is part of a hybrid war against Russia.
"We have repeatedly cautioned against risks that have emerged since NATO began to use the territory of Finland. Any military exercises of an aggressive military bloc near the Russian borders are clearly provocative," the diplomat said at a news briefing on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). "Practicing the use of combat actions on Finnish territory is part of a hybrid war being waged on Russia," she added, citing new security risks for shipping and the economic activity in the country’s Extreme North.
"We are monitoring the develolments as we assess potential risks. Our military has been making corresponding conclusions," she said.
To reduce challenges facing the country’s north, the Leningrad Military District was restored, she explained. "Any further decisions regarding the provision of our country’s security will be made depending on how the situation evolves and they will be made by the Russian leadership," Zakharova noted.
According to her, Moscow regrets to see how the once stable region of Northern Europe "is being actively transformed into a region of geopolitical tensions.
About forum
The Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) is underway on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok on September 3-6, 2024. The main theme of the EEF in 2024 is "Far East 2030. Combining strengths to create new potential."
The EEF is one of the largest international conferences in Russia. It has been held in the Primorsky Region’s Russky Island in Vladivostok since 2015. The Forum is the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who decreed that the event be held annually.
The forum's objectives and goals include promoting the accelerated growth of Russia’s Far East region; assessing its potential for exports; expanding international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region; showcasing the investment appeal of the region, its steadily progressing territories, and the Vladivostok free port.
The Roscongress Foundation has served as the Forum’s organizer since 2016.
TASS is the general information partner of the EEF.