NATO defence ministers have agreed on a package of measures in connection with the strengthening of Russian missile potential, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.
The two-day teleconference meeting of NATO defence ministers started earlier in the day.
The North Atlantic Council, the chief political decision-making authority within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), held a meeting at the level of the defence ministers via a secure video conference, addressing the issues of resilience, missions and operations.
Russia has repeatedly pointed to increased activities of NATO forces close to its border. One example occurred earlier in June, when Russia's Defence Ministry registered heightened activity of the US and NATO forces near its borders, including the Defender-Europe 20 military exercise and the first naval exercise in the Barents Sea since the end of the Cold War.
On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed the country's leadership in cutting-edge weaponry, including hypersonic weapons.
NATO defense ministers meet begins
NATO's defense ministers began on Wednesday a two-day online meet to discuss issues of mutual importance.
In his opening speech, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the meeting will discuss preparations for a possible second wave of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as security and defense issues.
“NATO is responding to COVID-19, and preparing for a possible second wave. But the security threats we faced before the pandemic have not disappeared. So we must continue to provide security to our close to one billion citizens,” he said.
“Today, we will discuss how to respond to the growing threat posed by Russia’s nuclear capable missiles. And we will also discuss NATO’s missions and operations with the focus on Afghanistan and Iraq."
Formed in 1949, NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 countries.