The Russian intelligence chief also said that Washington put pressure on the Asia-Pacific states, including Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, over the Ukraine conflict by forcing them to support the Western stance on the matter and threatening with sanctions.
"Over concerns related to the strengthening of strategic Russia-China ties, Washington has started to conduct a policy to integrate and deter Moscow and Beijing in the Asia-Pacific region. To counteract the Russian-Chinese tandem, the US administration is planning to reshape the ASEAN-centric security system into a network of military-political alliances controlled by the White House," Kostyukov stated during the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.
The United States is also involving South Korea in its nuclear planning, the official emphasized, adding that Seoul hosted the first meeting of the US-Korean group on nuclear issues in July.
Furthermore, the US strategic bomber aviation forces have stepped up their activities near the borders of Russia and China, the official highlighted.
"The activity of US strategic bomber aviation has significantly intensified near the borders of Russia and China. This year, there were 77 cases aircraft taking off, which is already more than in the whole of 2022," Kostyukov said.