Russian Defence Minister Shoigu: The main goal of the West is to destroy Russia

Russia remains the main goal of destructive efforts of the West. The West aims to destroy the Russian economy, military potential and deprive the country of a possibility to run independent policies, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said speaking at the meeting of the collegium of the military departments of Russia and Belarus, TASS reports.

According to the minister, the current situation is beneficial primarily to the United States. Washington is trying to use it to maintain global leadership and weaken other states as much as possible, including its allies in the European Union, Shoigu said.

However, the main target of the destructive efforts of the Western countries is, of course, Russia, Shoigu stressed.

NATO has increased its military presence in Eastern and Central Europe 2.5 times since February 2022 to 30,000 people, the Defence Minister of Russia also said.

"New multinational tactical groups are being created in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia,” the head of the Defense Ministry said during the meeting of the collegium of the military departments of Russia and Belarus.

Shoigu also stressed that in the near future the number of troops of non-regional NATO members may increase.

The confrontation between the Western countries and Moscow is growing, he added.

Against this background, Russia and Belarus started forming joint defense space, he added, Interfax reports.

Western countries encourage the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.

In turn, Ukraine resorts to prohibited methods of warfare. Kyiv arranges terrorist attacks, organizes contract killings and shells civilians with heavy weapons, Sergei Shoigu stated.

Ukraine ready to deploy NATO nuclear weapons

"We are aware of Kyiv's attempts to build a "dirty" nuclear bomb and to deploy NATO nuclear weapons on its territory. Recently, the President of Ukraine called on Western countries to carry out preventive nuclear strikes against Russia," Sergei Shoigu said.

At the Madrid summit in June, NATO adopted a new strategic concept, which declared Russia the biggest threat. 

NATO wants to proceed from containing Russia with its forward presence to creating a full-scale collective defence system on the eastern flank, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu added, RIA Novosti reports.

Earlier, Federation Council Senator Sergei Tsekov said that if NATO deploys nuclear weapons in Finland and builds army bases there, Russia will strengthen security on the border between the two countries accordingly. According to him, the decision of the Finnish authorities to join the North Atlantic Alliance forced Moscow to revise its relations with Helsinki.