Mobilenews24x7 Bureau

Ottawa, Jan 22 :NATO’s expansion to Russian borders is unwarranted and causes grave concern, Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov said on Saturday.

“We believe that NATO’s expansion up to our borders is unwarranted. And as we see the advance of the military infrastructure of NATO to our borders, we are concerned for our security,” Stepanov told the Canadian CBC TV.

The ambassador stressed that Russia has no desire to invade Ukraine.

In addition, Stepanov noted that negotiations on security guarantees with NATO countries could fail if Moscow does not get what it wants. The ambassador said that in case Western countries impose new sanctions against Russia, it will have consequences in bilateral relations.

In the past few months, the West and Ukraine have accused Russia of massing troops near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for invasion. Russia has dismissed these claims, maintaining that it has no intention of invading Ukraine while stressing that it has the right to move forces within its own territory.

Russia has also expressed concern over NATO’s military activity near its borders and the ongoing military support for Ukraine, including an increase in the number of Western instructors in Donbas.