Alexander Grushko, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, stated to the official Russian news agency that the scale of NATO's 2024 exercises, named "Defender of the Realm," represents an "irreversible return" of the alliance to Cold War plans. NATO announced on Thursday that it will commence its largest military exercise since the Cold War, involving approximately 90,000 troops, simulating how American forces would reinforce European allies in countries adjacent to Russia's borders and on the eastern flank of the alliance in the event of a conflict escalating towards a confrontation between two potential peers.
Grushko told the agency, "These exercises are an additional element in the hybrid war that the West is waging against Russia." He further stated, "Training of this scale marks NATO's final and irreversible return to Cold War schemes, where military planning, resources, and infrastructure are being prepared to confront Russia."
While NATO did not explicitly mention Russia in its announcement, the alliance's most prominent strategic document identifies Russia as the most significant and direct threat to the security of its member states.
