OSLO, April 4, 2004. (RIA Novosti) - NATO's eastward expansion, most notably its buildup in the former Soviet republics of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, will necessitate some changes in the Russian military strategy, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said during a stopover in the Norwegian capital, en route to the United States.
"Four NATO aircraft policing the airspace (over the Baltic member nations) won't make any fundamental difference. But if NATO continues to build up its arsenal, Russia will have to change its military strategies accordingly," the minister pointed out.
