The large-scale NATO exercises in the Baltic countries at the borders with Russia should play a deterrent role and a kind of "planned reaction" to the Kremlin's "half-provocative" actions towards the countries of Eastern Europe.

This opinion was expressed to the "Observer" by the ex-deputy head of the Security Service, the chairman of the Union of Officers of Ukraine, Lieutenant-General Alexander Skipalsky.

"You saw how many times Russia carried out actions of a semi-provocative nature - it sent its planes to the shores of Great Britain, to the borders of Poland, to the borders of Estonia - in order to provoke a backlash from NATO. In this case, the reaction is not the reverse, but the planned. It is also a demonstration of the strength of NATO, the fact that the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe alone will not remain alone with Russia, "said the general.

He added that the transfer of the B-52 strategic bombers to the Baltic States is aimed at demonstrating the military capabilities of the Alliance, which plays a deterrent role for Russia.

At the same time, Skipalsky stressed that modern Russia provokes an arms race in the world, since such an "empire" "can not keep the people that are part of it, except by searching for an enemy and creating an artificial threat".

"We must pay tribute to NATO, which conducts the correct policy and respects the principle of collective security of the bloc," said the general.

"This story with the arms race for a long time?" - Asked "Observer".

"Read Malthus (an English scholar of the 18th and 19th centuries, Thomas Malthus, author of population theory), who said that the overpopulation of the planet will always cause wars. Unfortunately, this is so, "- answered Skipalsky.

As the Observer wrote, the US Air Force intends to transfer to Europe several B-52 strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons that will participate in NATO exercises near the borders with Russia.

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