Russia says NATO military buildup threatens European stability

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s increasing military activity near Russian borders undermines strategic stability and general trust in Europe, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

He made the remarks at a news conference after a meeting with visiting Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva, according to an official transcript.

Earlier this month, NATO allies participated in the interoperability training exercise Real Thaw 2018 in Portugal, mobilizing more than 1,500 personnel and 35 aircraft from Denmark, France, The Netherlands, Spain and the United Sates.

More military drills are planned for 2018 as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the bloc has to be stronger to cope with a "more dangerous" world.

Despite these maneuvers, Lavrov and Silva at Monday's meeting expressed an interest in the recovery of relations between Russia and the European Union, which would "benefit the entire European continent and Eurasia as a whole."

Lavrov said he told Silva about Russian efforts to ensure the full and consistent implementation of the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.

The two top diplomats also exchanged views and assessments on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, including in Syria and Libya.