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Russia to thwart any NATO attempts aimed at controlling Kaliningrad — senator

Valentina Matviyenko stressed that the city was "Russia's outpost in the West" and it played an important role in ensuring Russia's security

KALININGRAD, April 9. /TASS/. Russia will never allow aggressive NATO countries to encroach on the security of the country’s westernmost Kaliningrad Region or "appropriate" the Baltic Sea, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said on Thursday.

Matviyenko, who is currenly paying an official visit to Kaliningrad, stressed that the city is "Russia's outpost in the West" and it plays an important role in ensuring Russia's security.

"This is why particular attention is paid in this regard," she told journalists. "We do see how aggressively behave Western countries and NATO [member states] voicing rhetoric that the Baltic Sea should be deemed as NATO’s own sea zone territory."

"Residents of Kaliningrad should not be worried by such aggressive statements," Russia’s top senator continued.

"Russia will never allow anyone to encroach on Kaliningrad, or to appropriate the Baltic Sea, this will never happen," Matviyenko added.

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