Deployment of US troops in Europe confirms Russia's security concerns: Kremlin

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Pentagon's announcement about sending the US troops to Europe confirms Russia's security concerns, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

The US continues escalating the situation in Europe despite Russia's numerous appeals to stop doing that, Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing in Moscow.

"Let's note, we are talking in this case, not just about provocative statements, that war will come soon, everyone will pay a terrible price, and so on, but we are talking about sending American soldiers to European countries near our borders.

"It is obvious that these are not steps aimed at de-escalating tensions, but on the contrary, their actions lead to an increase in this tension," he stressed.

In such a situation, Russia's concern is absolutely "understandable, absolutely justified," as well as measures the country's leadership can take for protection, he added.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced the transfer of about a thousand American troops from Germany to Romania, as well as a total of 2,000 more from the US to Germany and Poland.

Last December, Russia presented to the US and NATO its proposal on providing security guarantees in Europe that takes into account the country's interests. On Jan.27, after a series of talks, the US and NATO handed their written responses to the proposals to the Russian Foreign Ministry.